The Group One Railway Stakes will be run without one of the early favourites in Fawkner after connections decided against a trip west for the Emirates Stakes runner-up.

Fawkner had been on the second line of betting for Saturday week's $1 million feature at Ascot but was taken out of the market on Thursday following news that he would not make the trip and would be spelled.

The Lloyd Williams-owned Fawkner won at Flemington over 1400m on Victoria Derby day and then was narrowly denied by Happy Trails in the Group One Emirates Stakes a week later.

Last year's Railway Stakes winner Luckygray is favourite to go back-to-back, with three-year-old Luke's Luck moving to the second line of betting for the 1600m event.