Trainer Henry Cecil got his 69th Royal Ascot winner, with 12-1 outsider Sandmason - not 2-1 favorite Wellbeing - winning the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes.
Banks Hill became the first French-trained winner at this week's Royal Ascot meeting, landing Friday's featured £250,000 (about US$350,000) Coronation Stakes (Eng-I).Trained by Andre Fabre and ridden by Olivier Peslier, the filly surged past fellow 4-1 co-favorite Crystal Music inside the final furlong to win by a 1 1/2 lengths. Godolphin stable's Tempting Fate (12-1) was a further half-length back in third.Peslier, who leads the standings in the French jockeys' championship, was ecstatic after his first success in Britain this year."She is a very nice filly with a good confirmation," he said. "She travelled well and when I asked her, she flew. Andre has taken his time with the filly, he didn't give her a hard time when the ground was soft and she has done well."A 3-year-old daughter of Danehill, Banks Hill races for Prince Khalid Abdullah and was bred in Great Britain by her owner's Juddmonte Farms.In other races, Storming Home -- which finished fifth in the English Derby at Epsom two weeks ago -- won the King Edward VII Stakes. Ridden by Michael Hills, the colt hit the front a furlong out and won by 1 1/4 lengths over Snowstorm.