Castle Star, Cadamosto and Go Bears Go face off in exciting Railway Stakes

GAIN Railway Stakes (Group 2) | 6f | 2yo | RTE2/RTV

This is the strongest two-year-old race run in Ireland, and possibly Europe, all season.

The majority of the leading players – Cadamosto, Go Bears Go and Masseto – come into this Group 2 off the back of excellent efforts at Royal Ascot.

Throw Castle Star, Dr Zempf and Dukebox into the picture, three colts who avoided the royal meeting in favour of coming here fresh, and all the ingredients are there for a rollickingly good Railway Stakes.

There may not be a more exciting juvenile in these parts than Castle Star. It's rare that you see a jockey take a pull inside the final furlong in a Group race, but that's exactly what Chris Hayes did aboard Fozzy Stack's speedster in the Marble Hill.

Castle Star would have been high up in the betting for the Coventry Stakes had he made the trip to Royal Ascot and appears the standard-setter here.

The Ger Lyons-trained Dr Zempf oozed class when winning his maiden over course and distance and, while this represents a jump in class, he looks a colt capable of mixing it at a higher level.

Of the horses who ran at Royal Ascot, Norfolk runner-up Go Bears Go would appear the most interesting, but the British raider is closely matched by the Aidan O'Brien-trained Cadamosto, who finished fourth in the same race.

Cadamosto went to Royal Ascot off the back of a maiden win at Dundalk and ran well in the circumstances. He will be bidding to provide O'Brien with an unprecedented 12th success in this race.

The Ballydoyle challenge is beefed up by The Acropolis and The Entertainer, while Joseph and Donnacha have strong claims in opposition, represented by Andreas Vesalius and Masseto respectively. It's a race not to be missed.

What they say

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Albion Square
He seems to have come on from Ascot. He actually seems to be in better form for this.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Cadamosto, The Acropolis and The Entertainer
We think Cadamosto will come forward from what he did at Ascot. He was stopping and starting a bit in the weeks before that with the way the ground was, so we think he will improve. Hopefully the ground will stay nice for him. The Acropolis was just tightened up for room a furlong down in the Coventry and that cost him a little bit of ground. The Entertainer ran in very bad ground last time and we think this quicker surface will suit him.

Fozzy Stack, trainer of Castle Star
It's a competitive race but he's in good shape. He won the Marble Hill very well but he would need to step forward from that again because this looks a better race again. Ascot was strongly considered but we were always leaning towards this race as he likes the track and it's only up the road.

David Loughnane, trainer of Go Bears Go
He seems to have come out of Ascot in great shape, so we said we'd roll the dice and see how we get on. We'd be fairly hopeful that, if this race doesn’t come too soon for him, which I don't think it will, he goes there with every chance. Castle Star looks the one we all have to beat.

Donnacha O'Brien, trainer of Masseto
He's in good form and has come out of Ascot really well. The conditions should suit but it looks a really competitive race. It looks the best two-year-old race that has been run this year, but he goes there with a chance.

Paddy Twomey, trainer of Pinar Del Rio
This has been the plan since he won his maiden on Guineas weekend. Hopefully he can continue to progress as I think this is the logical next step for him.

Saturday's big-race previews:

2.20 Newcastle: top all-weather sprinters clash in classy Chipchase Stakes

2.40 Newmarket: Tom Collins examines the credentials of Logician ahead of Fred Archer 'plan B'

3.15 Newmarket: getting a handy position early could be the key to winning the Criterion Stakes

3.30 Newcastle: 'I've been winding him up for this race' – who may star in the Northumberland Plate?

3.45 Curragh: 'A big horse with a big stride' – will High Definition power to Classic glory?

3.45 Curragh: 'There were plenty of pundits who filed him under the plodder category' (Members' Club)

4.20 Curragh: 'He can run a big race' – Cadillac out to confirm promise of juvenile campaign

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