Mark Johnston’s Dee Ex Bee ready for Stradivarius rematch

The Yorkshire horse’s fine performance was overshadowed by Stradivarius defending his crown on a momentous third day at Royal Ascot which saw Frankie Dettori land the first four races.

Runner-up in last year’s Epsom Derby, Dee Ex Bee is trained at Middleham by Mark Johnston for owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum whose racing manager, Johnno Mills, hailed a “fantastic performance”.

He added: “We’re thrilled with him. We set this out as a target for him about eight months ago, and we’re thrilled we got him here, he ran a great race and we were beaten by a true champion.

“We wish a horse had come to us with a furlong to run so we could be in a battle; he’s a battler, but take nothing away from the winner. He really is a true champion and we’re here and we’ve run a great race. Hopefully, we will take him on somewhere else and see if we can reverse the tables, but it’s a fantastic day.”

Meanwhile, Hameem can extend her winning run to four and claim a valuable Listed success in the Pontefract Castle Fillies’ Stakes at the Yorkshire track tomorrow.

This four-year-old has been something of a slow-burner for champion trainer John Gosden, running four times before finally opening her account at Brighton last September.

That event was nothing special, but she duly rolled on to Newmarket where she made all to win a modest fillies’ handicap, proving her stamina for 12 furlongs in the process.

Hameem then departed on a winter break and eventually returned at Newmarket in mid-May, where she stepped up again to win a competitive event in decisive style.

Her relatives kept improving over time, so there is every hope Hameem can follow their example and post her best effort yet.

Champarisi is interesting, stepping up in trip to two and a quarter miles in the Stephane Osborne Pontefract Cup Handicap.

She won three times on the bounce in March and April, but came unstuck in a better event at York last time out, having to settle for a close-up fourth.

That probably represented her best effort to date, and she just lacked a little toe when it was required, so perhaps a switch up in distance can help on that front.

The races are part of Pontrfract ‘Flat Cap and Whippet’ family day in which the innovative and popular track puts on fun events off the track to attract a new generation of racegoers.