Celeron powers to Railway Stakes success Celeron bounced back from Royal Ascot disappointment with a runaway victory in the GAIN Railway Stakes at the Curragh. Michael O’Callaghan’s juvenile had made a big impression on his racecourse debut at this venue in early June and as a result connections travelled to the Royal meeting with hopes ahead of his tilt at the Windsor Castle Stakes. Unfortunately a slow start put him on the back foot from the start, however, and he never threatened to land a telling blow, but he showed his true colours back on home soil. A 7-2 shot in the hands of Oisin Murphy, Celeron quickened up to take over the lead racing inside the last of six furlongs and passed the post with three lengths in hand over Tribeca. Aidan O’Brien’s 11-10 favourite Confucius was only third. O’Callaghan said: “Any day you can get Oisin is a bonus – he gave him a great ride. “I was a little bit worried about the trip today – six furlongs looks like his minimum now. He won his maiden over six furlongs but when this horse steps up to seven furlongs or even a mile, we’ll see the best of him. “Oisin said today it was only because of his class he got through. He found the pace mid-race a little bit hot, but he said the horse has plenty of class and took plenty of pulling up. “His next race will be over seven furlongs and he could be a horse to go a mile next May.”
