ASCOT, United Kingdom: France dominated Friday's Group One Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot when Immortal Verse and Nova Hawk made it a 1-2 for Robert Collet and his son Rod. The victory came on the back of Pour Moi's success in this month's Epsom Derby when Mickael Barzalona announced his considerable ability to the world with a last-to-first ride aboard the Andre Fabre-trained runner at Epsom. Robert Collet had not sent a horse over the Channel to Royal Ascot for 25 years when Cash Asmussen rode Last Tycoon to victory in the King's Stand Stakes in the same white and green colors of winning owner Richard Strauss. There was further family celebration as Beachfire became Princess Haya Of Jordan's first Royal Ascot winner when William Buick, who had won the earlier King Edward VII Stakes on Nathaniel, partnered the four-year-old to victory in the Wolfreton Stakes. Beachfire led home Lost In The Moment, owned by Godolphin, the Dubai-based operation founded by Sheikh Mohammed. The Sheikh's son, Sheikh Hamdan, took the Queen's Vase with Namibian 40 minutes later. The winner had to survive a Stewards' enquiry before keeping the 3,200m race, and the victorious trainer, Mark Johnston, also saddled Eternal Heart into third and Halifax into fifth.
