Why a French renaissance could be in the offing at this year's Royal Ascot

‘Where have all the French trainers gone?’ That might have been a reasonable refrain over the last decade and a half when it came to Royal Ascot.

My first year as Racing Post correspondent in Paris, 2011, featured Immortal Verse streaking clear of Nova Hawk in the Coronation Stakes, as Robert Collet beat his son Rodolphe to the prize.

Since then Gallic-trained success has been more of a trickle than a torrent. Ervedya and Qemah both dominated the Coronation of their vintage for Jean-Claude Rouget (Qemah would follow up in the Duke of Cambridge 12 months later) and Solow bagged a Queen Anne for Freddy Head.