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 Royal 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, who rode her] 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 [in the Oaks, where she finished fourth] 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 (sixth) fought a lot of fights - but it was still a high-class race."
The injury suffered by jockey Frankie Dettori last week at Yarmouth causing him to miss the Royal Meeting became Olivier Peslier's gain today as he picked up the spare ride on Coronet.
The three-year-old filly, a daughter of Dubawi and fifth in the Epsom Oaks behind stablemate Enable, was sent off a 9/1 chance and gave Peslier a 16th Royal Ascot success.
"I could take my time on her and the race went well for her," said Peslier. "There was a good pace, but the leader was a bit too far in front so no one wanted to follow her. There was a horse on my outside, number nine I think, who lost her saddle, so I wasn't very comfortable at that point. I tried to stay behind her, I was not quite sure where she was going to go.
"The strong pace was a big help for me. When you win, you say the ground is OK and everything is fine but, just before the last corner, I didn't really have the gap. I prefer it when the filly is coming slowly and I didn't want to push too hard with her.
"John said that she would take a bit of time but when she comes, she comes well. This was the reason I didn't panic, took a bit of time and came back late. I am very patient and I didn't want to kill her between horses - I preferred to take my time.
"John said Coronet would finish well, he said to be careful because she takes some time to change gear, but she's finished like a French horse.
"The ground has been watered, so it rode less firm than yesterday."
