Ground upsets Princeton plans

Edward Harty saddles the JP McManus-owned Princeton Plains, who was last seen going down by a neck in a valuable handicap at Listowel in September in The Ladbroke, one of the most competitive handicap hurdles of the season at Ascot today.

Harty said of his six-year-old: “He’s got form on bad ground and he’s in good nick.

“We’ve had this race in mind for him for a long time, but mainly because we thought we’d get some decent ground for him. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case.