Guyon rides to Ascot victory at first attempt

Maxime Guyon won for France at Royal Ascot with his first ride in Britain aboard Byword in the Prince of Wales's Stakes here on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old jockey had never ridden at the Royal meeting before, and with a cool performance to belie his years, he kept his mount galloping to the line to hold off the fast-finishing Twice Over, also owned by Khalid Abdullah, by half a length.

Tazeez, trained by John Gosden, finished three-quarters of a length in third and German raider Wiener Walzer fifth.

Although Guyon is not yet well know outside his native France, Wednesday's success was his sixth victory at Group One level, and his fourth this year after winning the Prix de Ganay on Cutlass Bay, and the French Classic double aboard Lope De Vega.

Guyon was visibly nervous amid the post-race celebrations in the winners' enclosure and was quick to thank victorious trainer Andre Fabre, with whom he served his apprenticeship.

"I'm absolutely delighted to have been given the opportunity to ride here today by Mr Fabre," said Guyon quietly, trying to hide his unease.

"I wasn't nervous before the race, I was apprehensive. I got the horse in a really good position and from there he was able to kick on. I never thought this would happen."

If the experience of winning in front of the assembled royalty was too much for Guyon, it was another day at the office for Fabre, who was recording his seventh Royal Ascot victory and his second in the Prince of Wales's Stakes after Manduro triumphed in 2007.

"He has nerves and he is also young," said a paternal Fabre of Guyon.

"He's just a big boy. He was worried before the race. He walked the course, he watched some videos of it and made some phone calls to people.

"Maxime has been an apprentice at home and he knows what I want," Fabre added. "He doesn't use the whip a lot, which I like. He rode a beautiful race."

Byword's three-year-old career was stalled by a virus that he suffered in the northern hemisphere autumn.

Fabre, however, was patient, and having trained the colt's sire, 1997 Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe winner Peintre Celebre, he dreamed of greater things as Byword strengthened up during the winter.

And if Byword's narrow loss to Goldikova, winner of Ascot's Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday, at Longchamp last month suggested he might be out of the top drawer, his victory confirms the high opinion Fabre has of him.

Byword was quoted at 14-1 by bookmakers to follow in the footsteps of his sire and go on to win the Arc in October, but Fabre was unsure the colt would stay the one mile four furlong course at Longchamp, near Paris.

"He's a horse that can go for the big mile competitions in the future, as well as race over a mile and a quarter," Fabre continued.

"I'd consider going for the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville (northern France) in August."