NORTH Yorkshire trainer Kevin Ryan, with two narrowly-beaten seconds at Royal Ascot this week, can make it third-time-lucky in today's opening race.

Hambleton-based Ryan saddles ASHADIHAN in the £70,000 Albany Stakes and Jamie Spencer's mount is fancied to make up for the defeats of stable mates Aneed and The Grey Gatsby at this most prestigious of fixures.

The Grey Gatsby looked a little unlucky not to beat Free Eagle in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes on Wednesday, being briefly locked in a pocket at a crucial stage before staying on strongly to be beaten by a short head.

Few would begrudge Ryan a winner after his two near-misses and Ashadihan may be able to provide him with an elusive success in this Group 3 contest over six furlongs. The juvenile won handsomely on her debut at Haydock last month, picking up strongly more than a furlong out and striding clear in the closing stages.

Ashadihan has much more on her plate this time, but she is held in high regard in the Ryan camp and is selected to make a bold show.

Tim Easterby has been denied running Mattmu in the first running of the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup because of the fast ground. The Great Habton trainer is now hoping to saddle his high-class three-year-old at Newcastle next Saturday.

The underfoot conditions will be very much in the favour of LIMATO, who lost his unbeaten record on an easier surface at Haydock last time when beaten by Adday, who takes him on again.

Limato, whose success in last year's Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy had to be seen to be believed, such was the ease of his victory, is trained by Henry Candy, who won the big sprint at York last Saturday with Twilight Son.

This new race has attracted a tremendously strongly field, but it will be disappointing if Limato is not firmly in the thick of things under James Doyle.

Ryan Moore can do no wrong at this meeting and is dominating the riding ranks. The former champion jockey can add to his growing tally of Royal Ascot winners this afternoon.

In the King Edward Vll Stakes, Moore will be aboard OL' MAN RIVER for Aidan O'Brien, who also runs Father Christmas, the mount of his son, Joseph.

Ol' Man River has been well beaten in his two races this season, most recently the Dante Stakes at York, but it is surely significant that O'Brien feels it worthwhile sending him to Royal Ascot. Unbeaten in his two races last season, Ol' Man River is not to underestimated.

Moore can also win the Coronation Stakes on O'Brien's FOUND, narrowly-beaten runner-up in the Irish 1,000 Guineas last month, and also Aloft, a smart colt last season, who should relish the step up to two miles in the Queen's Vase, which concludes the fourth day's card. Found carries the nap selection.

The Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap looks a particularly tricky race to solve, but AJMAN BRIDGE, trained by Luca Cumani, may be the one to be on.

The five-year-old finished runner-up at Doncaster on his reappearance and took third place behind Notarised on his latest start on Knavesmire. He should be cherry-ripe for this mile-and-a-half test with Adam Kirby in the saddle.

Northern racing centres on a low-profile Redcar card where Norton trainer Tony Coyle has good prospects of winning the Pinnacle Racing Syndicates Straight Mile Handicap Qualifier with WESTWOOD HOE.

The lightly-raced four-year-old won the amateur riders' handicap at York three weeks ago and looks open to further improvement. Paul Mulrennan, who finished second in the Queen Mary Stakes on Wednesday at Royal Ascot on Michael Dods' Easton Angel, takes the mount.

Today's selections

Royal Ascot: 2-30 Ashadihan, 3-05 Ol' Man River, 3-40 Limato, 4-20 Found (NAP), 5-00 Ajman Bridge, 5-35 Aloft.

Redcar: 2-20 Workaday, 2-55 Baylay, 3-30 Fazza, 4-05 Westwood Hoe, 4-45 Novancia, 5-20 Charlotte's Secret, 5-55 Atreus.