Johnston joy as Namibian lifts Vase

NAMIBIAN gave trainer Mark Johnston his sixth win in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot with a battling success over Solar Sky.

Silvestre de Sousa took the 7-2 favourite into the lead from his stablemate Eternal Heart two furlongs out and drifted sharply over to the far rail.

Tom Queally went after him on Henry Cecil’s Solar Sky, but Namibian pulled out extra to give De Sousa his 50th victory of the season – and his first at the Royal meeting.