Thoroughly content leaving Ascot, given winning margin? (2,6)
I believe the answer is:
at length
'thoroughly' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adverbs. Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
'content leaving ascot given winning margin?' is the wordplay.
'content leaving' suggests removing the centre (the word's contents are removed).
'given winning margin?' becomes 'length' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'ascot' with its centre taken out is 'at'.
'at'+'length'='AT LENGTH'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for at length that I've seen before include "Speak thus to be long-winded" , "Fully extended" , "taking ages" , "In great detail" , "Finally" .)