Johnny Murtagh rode many major winners in the famous Aga Khan colours and trained his first one for the prominent owner as Shartash showed a blistering turn of foot to win the GAIN Railway Stakes at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival at The Curragh.
Murtagh spoke of his pride when the Aga Khan sent him his first horses and it appears he now has a flag bearer for the owner.
A winner last time out at Naas, Shartash was nevertheless a big drifter in the betting and 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 the verdict by a short head to be given a 33-1 quote for next year’s Guineas by Betfair.
Shartash triumphed in the GAIN Railway Stakes #rteracing #DDFIrishDerby @curraghrace @RTE2 @RTEplayer pic.twitter.com/1mgiKiLS7I
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) June 25, 2022
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.
"He’s in the Phoenix Stakes.
Aidan O'Brien was left wondering if he ran the wrong horse in the Irish Derby after watching Aikhal bolt up in the ARM Holding International Stakes.
Stone last in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, he took a huge step forward for going up in trip to 10 furlongs, turning the Group Three into a procession.
Despite finishing close up in Group One company at two, he was sent off at 20-1 but in the hands of Ryan Moore, he bounded four and a quarter-lengths clear of Duke De Sessa.
"We thought this was a very good horse last year, but he got a hold up in the spring and he went to the St James’s Palace without a run, which is certainly not ideal. It was a slow pace and then they quickened and left him," said O’Brien.
"Ryan said maybe we ran the wrong horse in the Derby when he got off him (Tuesday finished fourth in the Classic). Ryan said they went a strong gallop and he couldn’t believe how well he was going and he ran right through the line."
Billy Lee excelled when guiding Teresa Mendoza to success in the Dubai Duty Free Dash.
The race was run at a ferocious gallop thanks to Measure Of Magic who had the field well strung out at halfway but Colin Keane appeared to have things covered on Power Under Me.
It initially seemed that his main danger was going to be Prisoner's Dilemma and those two got involved in a tussle, but Lee had all the while been creeping closer on Ken Condon’s filly.
A smart juvenile, she had finished second in the corresponding Listed 12 race 12 months ago and had been well backed into 4-1 to go one better.
She ended up getting there by half a length from Prisoner’s Dilemma, with the same back to Power Under Me.
"I took a chance and took my time as they went fast. They came back to me and I was able to sit longer than I usually do," said Lee.
"She had been running well in Listed races and one of them was going to fall her away eventually."
Jim Bolger’s Irish Guineas fourth Wexford Native (18-5) came out on top in a thrilling battle with The Acropolis to win the Dubai Duty Free Celebration Stakes.
Unplaced in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, he was back out again quickly and was handy under Kevin Manning.
Headed inside the final furlong by The Acropolis, he battled back gamely to win by a neck.
"He’s been a work in progress and didn’t run until he was three, so we are trying to make up for lost time," said Bolger.
"We’ll be stepping him up now to probably 10 furlongs and hopefully he’ll progress.
"I bought the dam (Yes Oh Yes) in America many moons ago. She’s bred a few winners but nothing of his class and hopefully we will be able to build a pedigree from here."
Joseph O’Brien’s Night Of Romance is clearly thriving and followed up a win at Gowran last time out by taking the Dubai Duty Free Summer Fillies Handicap off a 9lb higher mark.
"She’s improving and the step up to seven furlongs has probably been the key to her. She has taken her form to a new level and she hit the line well," said the trainer.
"Dylan (Brown McMonagle) gave her a good ride and had her in a great position from a wide draw.
"We’ll see what the handicapper does and we will probably be forced into black type now, but I’m very happy with her.
