THE GALLIC flavour to Royal Ascot 2010 continued yesterday with Byword’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes victory providing jockey Maxime Guyon with a perfect first ride in Britain.

Guyon’s first sight of the tricky Ascot track proved to be no problem at all to the 21-year-old who has already scored a classic double in France this season with Lope De Vega.

In contrast, Tom Queally had something of a nightmare on Twice Over who completed a one-two for owner Prince Khalid Abdullah with a late run after being boxed in on the turn in.

“It was such a mess of a race. He got blocked in and couldn’t get out because he was too far back,” said Twice Over’s frustrated trainer Henry Cecil who later notched his 72nd royal festival winner with Timepiece in the Sandringham Handicap.

In contrast Andre Fabre’s pre-race confidence in Byword was matched by anxiety about whether or not Guyon would be up to the job. He got his answer in style.

“It was a perfect ride, clear, no bumps,” smiled the legendary French trainer. “He has nerves, he knows the horses and he doesn’t use the whip a lot which I like.”

Best of the Irish challengers yesterday was David Wachman’s Meow who made much of the running in the Queen Mary Stakes only to be overhauled in the closing stages by the favourite Maqaasid.

The first two were drawn high which also appeared to be a major advantage in the Royal Hunt Cup which fell to a vintage Frankie Dettori ride on the 28 to 1 shot Invisible Man.

Ryan Moore was out of luck in the concluding Sandringham on the well-backed Safina but the British champion jockey was in inspired form earlier with an opening double.

Rainfall edged out Red Jazz by a head in the Jersey and it was just a short head that separated Strawberrydiaquiri from Spacious after an epic duel for the Windsor Forest Stakes.