The GAIN Railway Stakes
Group 2, Curragh 16:40
€115,000 added,
2yo only, 6f   
Saturday 29th June 2019

1 Siskin 4/6F
2 Monarch Of Egypt 7/2
3 Fort Myers 7/2
5 ran Distances: 2½l, 2¼l, hd
Time: 1m 13.02s (slow by 1.62s)

Siskin maintained his unbeaten record with an impressive win in the Group 2 Railway Stakes, with Monarch Of Egypt second. The victory made it a treble at the Curragh for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane.

The decision by connection to bypass Royal Ascot was vindicated as the son of First Defence, owned by Khalid Abdullah, proved too good for his four rivals.

After lifting the Listed Marble Hill Stakes over this six furlongs following an earlier success in May, Siskin duly confirmed he is an exciting prospect.

The early pace was set by Aidan O’Brien’s Fort Myers and Kevin Ryan’s British raider Romero until two furlongs from home, where Colin Keane unleashed Siskin.

The 4-6 favourite quickened impressively to win by two and a half lengths.

It was a treble on the card for Keane and Lyons after the wins of with Buffer Zone and Basic Law.

“First and foremost it’s a huge result to be training for these people in the first place,” said Lyons.

“To get a good one so early in our career with them is a bonus.

“Credit to them, because they let me do what I wanted to do with him. I didn’t want to go to Ascot – I could have been rushed into that, but they let me do what I wanted.

“I’m just one of those lucky lads, because things are falling together for us. We have the best jockey in the country riding for us, and Juddmonte are on the team now.

“My job is to just use the experience we’ve had in 20 years looking for these horses. We should know what we’re doing at this stage, and it’s nice to have one.”

Trainers Quotes

Asked if Siskin can go all the way to the top, he said: “I don’t know about going all the way – I wasn’t confident about winning today.

“You don’t win over here until you win, because of who you are taking on. The plan was to come, and then go to the Phoenix.

“If we got beat today then we had to make a second plan, but at the moment we’re still on track.

“As Teddy (Grimthorpe, owner’s racing manager) said ‘it’s grand when a plan works’. After the Marble Hill, this was my immediate plan, and it was rude of me to be fair – because I said it without discussing it with the owners.

“I’ve been beat in the Coventry (at Royal Ascot), and it’s a lonely place to be in second or third. I love having winners in Ireland. If we have to travel, I’ll travel – but I want to win races in Ireland.

“It’s not about what I want to do, but when I said that was my plan they backed me 100 per cent.

“I made the entry at Ascot because I felt guilty after sort of forcing this route on them. On the Sunday morning before Ascot Teddy said ‘what do you want to do?’ and I said I wanted to stick to the plan.”

It is very much a case of so far, so good.

Lyons added: “At this minute the plan is still intact.

“It’s a great day, but you are as good as your last winner. You couldn’t pick me up off the ground the past week, and people were telling me the horses were out of form.

“We’re in a very competitive game over here, and you can’t win every race. This is a huge bonus.

“Hopefully we can get this guy in one piece to the Phoenix and hopefully he’s still the best around at the time.

“He doesn’t excite you – he’s actually the opposite, he keeps you calm. I just know that he’s going to go out and do it.

“I keep expecting Aidan to pull one out of the hat, because he normally does – and when he does none of us will be surprised. But hopefully I can win that Group One.”

GAIN Railway Stakes (Group 2)
€115,000 added, 2yo only, 6f
5 ran
Going: Good

POS. DRAW DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (2)       Siskin 2 9-3 G M Lyons Colin Keane 4/6F
2 (3) 2½ Monarch Of Egypt 2 9-3 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 7/2
3 (4) 2¼ Fort Myers 2 9-3 A P O'Brien Donnacha O'Brien 7/2
4 (5) hd  Real Force 2 9-3 Gerard O'Leary N G McCullagh 66/1
5 (1) 8½ Romero 2 9-3 Kevin Ryan Kevin Stott 12/1