Go Bears Go lands vintage Railway Stakes for David Loughnane and Rossa Ryan

A vintage renewal of the Group 2 Railway Stakes was a hotly anticipated contest on the undercard and was won in game fashion by Norfolk Stakes runner-up Go Bears Go, for Galway natives David Loughnane and Rossa Ryan.

The owners, Amo Racing and Peter Waney, had to stump up a €10,000 supplementary fee to run the son of Kodi Bear, a decision that looked even braver when it became apparent just how strong a race this was, and he did them proud.

Go Bears Go, having broken smartly, came off the bridle and was headed two furlongs out but he showed his appetite for battle to see off his earlier challengers and then repel the late challenge of Castle Star by a length and a quarter.

Coventry Stakes fourth Masseto was the same distance away in third, with 15-8 favourite Dr Zempf a close fourth after getting squeezed inside the last furlong.

Ryan said: "I knew he would stay, it was just a matter of how he came out of Ascot. He's tough and he'll improve again."

For Loughnane, who began his career working for Ryan's father David at his base in Galway, it was just his second runner at the Curragh. He said: "I absolutely adore this horse. From the start I thought he was the best we've trained. We came here full of confidence and it's nice to be proved right."

He added: "He's a proper horse, a Group 1 horse, and I think we'll come back here in August and try to win the Phoenix Stakes. I'm not knocking anything we've beaten here but we've won it comfortably because we had the horse.

"I couldn't be happier for Rossa. The connection between us goes back a long way. For us to come back here to the homeland and do something like that is very special."

Sprint king Lynam back with a Proposal

Trainer Eddie Lynam has enjoyed plenty of limelight with champion sprinters Sole Power and Slade Power in recent years, and perhaps he has another improving sort to launch him back to the big time as the five-year-old mare Romantic Proposal won the Dubai Duty Free Dash Stakes in some style.

The daughter of Raven's Pass had looked to be an improving mare in her two previous placed starts this season, but she put those two starts in the shade here under a confident ride from Chris Hayes.

Held up, she was still last with a wall of horses in front of her over a furlong out, but she produced a telling turn of speed to quicken past all her rivals up the hill.

"We've taken our time with her and she's getting better," said Lynam.

"This idiot thought she was a miler. She ran a lovely race over a mile first time out but she has just gotten faster. My daughter bought her as a foal for €25,000. She also bought our good filly Soffia as a foal, so maybe I should self-isolate and send her to the sales!

"She was always going well but I also thought we were running out of furlongs, then she just picked them up in a heartbeat. She might take her chance back at five furlongs now in the Sapphire Stakes, but we've been ambitious in our entries with her. She's the first one I've entered in a Group 1 for a good while. I think she's good.

"I'm off now to get my Astra Zeneca jab number two. That's how I'm celebrating!"

Replays, results and analysis

Read more from Saturday's action:

Hurricane Lane storms home to deny Lone Eagle in epic Irish Derby

Northumberland Plate: quirky but talented Nicholas T fulfils Goldie's Newcastle master plan

Newcastle: Chil Chil too hot for handicaps now and could head to July Cup

Newmarket: training legend Clive Brittain back on the July course to honour his late wife

Windsor: old favourite Century Dream lands Listed spoils for team Crisford

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