Dee Ex Bee sends out Royal Ascot pointers with impressive Longines Sagaro Stakes success at Ascot

The four-year-old had struggled to replicate his excellent runner-up placing in last year’s Derby for the remainder of last season but appeared to thrive on tackling the challenge of a two mile distance for the first time on his seasonal reappearance. In doing so, the comfortable victory has staked a claim and early warning shot for potential Gold Cup success at next month’s Royal Ascot meeting.

Ascot’s first meeting of the flat season on Wednesday was renamed Royal Ascot Trials Day, with a focus on some of the key preparation races for horses ahead of the aforementioned Royal meeting and premier flat racing occasion of the season. The seven-race card contained four specific trials with the Group 3 Longines Sagaro Stakes retaining its same name but being designated as a Gold Cup Trial as well as continuing to be part of the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million.

The Sagaro Stakes is considered to be one of the most important trial races for the Gold Cup on the third day of the Royal Ascot meeting. The Group Three encounter is open to horses aged four years or older and is run over a distance of two miles. Formerly known as the Paradise Stakes and originally held at Hurst Park until it was transferred to the Berkshire course in 1963, it was renamed the Sagaro Stakes in 1978 after the great Sagaro, the winner of Ascot’s Gold Cup in each of the preceding three seasons.

For this year’s renamed renewal, Dee Ex Bee was being nudged along nicely by jockey William Buick. However, the horse responded superbly when prompted, taking up the lead with consummate ease entering the home straight, before stretching clear of his rivals to win by three and a quarter lengths. The Richard Hannon-trained Raymond Tusk, ridden by Jamie Spencer, was second with Andrew Balding’s Cleonte, with Silvestre De Sousa aboard, was third.

Scottish Champion Hurdle winner Verdana Blue travelled into the race well but was unable to get a clear run under Oisin Murphy and had to settle for fourth, while John Gosden’s Weekender ridden by Frankie Dettori was the big disappointment of the race by finishing sixth of the seven runners.

Buick said: “He certainly feels as if he’ll be a horse for the Gold Cup. It’s far enough for any horse, but he felt like a horse who will get the trip as well as any of them. He’s got that bit of class too.”

Although Gosden and Dettori failed to feature in the Sagaro Stakes, trainer and jockey enjoyed a double and treble respectively elsewhere across Wednesday’s Ascot card.

The first came in the one mile distance British EBF Fillies’ Conditions Stakes as Dettori steered Muchly to a short head success; the pair coming marginally front of Queen Power in second and Modern Millie in third.

The double for trainer and jockey was brought up in the The Group 3 Pavilion Stakes which is now known as the Merriebelle Stable Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes, recognising the importance it has as a key trial for the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Here it was race favourite who justified the backing in the six furlong contest to come in four lengths clear of No Nonsense in second and Konchek in third.

Dettori’s treble was completed in the Ascot Shop Paradise Stakes (A Queen Anne Stakes Trial). Riding for Sir Michael Stoute, Dettori was aboard Zaaki who edged the one mile contest by a neck from favourite Barney Roy, with Robin Of Navan in third.