Riding the French rollercoaster at Royal Ascot has shown how much this meeting is cherished abroad
The French for rollercoaster translates literally as 'Russian mountain', which is a phrase arguably in need of a rebrand. There must have been times during last week when the assorted trainers, jockeys, owners and breeders who comprised a near-record French challenge must have been in danger of gagging on their gourmet lunches, as a wealth of hope – never mind expectation – lurched out of view on Ascot's helter-skelter down slopes.
The sight of Big Rock and Facteur Cheval marooned on the far side of the track in the opening race on Tuesday was a head-scratcher, while Sea The Lady picked an inopportune moment to recreate the old Hamlet cigar commercial when walking out of the stalls on Wednesday.
Francis Graffard must have felt a combination of trepidation and resignation when he went to saddle Calandagan for the King Edward VII Stakes, after suffering the crushing disappointment of Rouhiya, with whom something was clearly amiss when she finished tailed-off in the Coronation Stakes.
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