Crown Goes To Coronet

Gosden filly catches favourite Mori on the line.

CORONET CROWNED

Coronet’s last-gasp victory at 9/1 in the Ribblesdale Stakes was the 42nd Royal Ascot win for her trainer John Gosden – but his first of this year’s meeting.

The Dubawi filly snatched triumph in the shadow of the post by a neck from 2/1 favourite Mori, denying Sir Michael Stoute a record-breaking 76th Royal Ascot win.

“My God, I’ve never seen a pace like that for a mile and a half race,” said Gosden. “The boys said the track was riding better today, because obviously they watered last night, five millilitres, then we got the cloud cover, which held the moisture in. In the last two days the water they put on at night had been sucked out by noon by the wind and the heat. It’s interesting that they say it is riding better today.

“Coronet is a lovely filly. I thought the third filly [Hertford Dancer, also trained by Gosden] had got it won. She’s a very game filly and was ridden well. It was a great run and I’m delighted with her.

“I told Olivier Peslier that this filly would come strong – I thought Mori was going to win and then Olivier came and grabbed it. She’s a tough filly. She loved the uphill at Epsom but not downhill. It was a good run and she deserved this success, and the second is an exceptionally good filly as well.

“It was a proper, true Ribblesdale – I think Mori was the one and Alluringly in sixth fought a lot of fights – but it was still a high-class race.”

Coronet gave veteran French jockey Peslier a 16th Royal Ascot success.

He said: “I could take my time on her and the race went well for her.