A winner last time out at Naas, Johnny Murtagh’s Shartash, in the famous Aga Khan colours, was sent off at 9-1. Aidan O’Brien’s Blackbeard was sent off the 5-6 favourite having finished fourth in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and Ryan Moore was always to the fore.
Ben Coen on Shartash must have had one or two brief thoughts that he was going to be locked up with nowhere to go a furlong out as he was trapped between horses. However, a gap appeared just in time and Shartash quickened up smartly to catch Blackbeard just in time.
The pair flashed across the line together but Shartash got his nose in front for the JP Murtagh team.

Murtagh said: “These colours have been very lucky to me throughout my career. We’ve had some great days. For His Highness to send us horses was special and to win the Railway Stakes is a great day for the team. He’s a nice horse that is improving all the time and he had to be brave today. Ben says he has a good turn of foot and the good ones have a turn of foot. Ben said he wasn’t in a great position, but when he got into the gap he quickened up well. After he won in Naas we thought this race would really suit him well. We freshened him up and it’s great when it all comes together.”