Charm Spirit bridges 21-year gap for French at Ascot

Charm Spirit gave the French their first winner in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes for 21 years when powering home in a messy race for mile Group One at Ascot.

Olivier Peslier managed to find a gap on Freddy Head's three-year-old and had enough in hand to hold the unlucky-in-running Night Of Thunder.

The 5-1 shot got home by half a length from the 2-1 favourite, trained by Richard Hannon, with Night Of Thunder's stablemate Toormore (25-1) just behind in third.

“I came a little bit early, but he was very generous for me,” Peslier said. “He was always in front and it was a really good win. It is wonderful.”

Madame Chiang finished with a flourish after being reluctant to go in the stalls to lift the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.

Jim Crowley worked hard on David Simcock's mud-loving three-year-old, who ran as a straight as an arrow to profit from the erratic path taken by Chicquita, who had gained a clear-cut advantage over a furlong out.

Leading inside the last 100 yards, Madame Chiang (12-1) went to win by two lengths from Silk Sari, who came from a long way back to claim the runner-up spot. The wayward Chicquita was third.

Gordon Lord Byron came through the eye of a needle in the dying strides to snatch victory in the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes.

Tom Hogan's admirable globetrotter looked to have plenty to do a furlong out, but Wayne Lordan managed to weave his way between Tropics and Jack Dexter to land the spoils on the well-backed 5-1 joint-favourite. Tropics was an agonising second for the Dean Ivory team, beaten a length and a quarter, with Jack Dexter another neck away in third.

Lordan said: “It was a bit tight, but he accelerated through. When he got to the front he actually slowed down a bit.”