Tahiyra scoops Classic glory in Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas

Tahiyra went one place better than her Newmarket second to scoop Classic glory with a dominant display in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas.

Unbeaten at two, Dermot Weld’s daughter of Siyouni was sent off the 6-4 favourite when coming up just short behind Mawj on the Rowley Mile earlier this month, but proved she is a filly of enormous quality to gain compensation on home soil.

She was even more popular with backers this time as the 2-5 favourite in the hands of regular partner Chris Hayes for the Curragh’s one-mile feature.

And there would have been a few nervous moments for supporters, as although Tahiyra was travelling smoothly throughout, she was penned in on the rail from her draw in stall one as the Aidan O’Brien pair of Breeders’ Cup heroine Meditate and Dower House dictated the pace.

Hayes masterfully angled out his filly with two furlongs left to run and soon set about accounting for old rival Meditate and having soon asserted her superiority once again over the Ballydoyle representative, she showed plenty of courage in the closing stages to match her undoubted talent as she was driven out for a one-and-a-half-length success.

It gave her handler and jockey back-to-back victories in the fillies’ Classic after Homeless Songs’ triumph 12 months ago and she could now head for Royal Ascot and a rematch with her Newmarket conqueror, with Paddy Power and Betfair making her a 7-4 chance for the Coronation Stakes.

Weld said: “She was in a pocket, but when you have a very good horse they have the pace to get out of that pocket. I was always comfortable.

“The plan was to hold onto her and ride her for speed. My only concern was whether she would let herself down on the quick ground. They have done a good job here.

“We’ll see how she comes out of this race and obviously we will think about the Coronation Stakes.”

He added: "She is a very talented filly. My only concern was the draw to be quite honest with you, in case it was a very slow pace and she got locked away.

“Everything went according to plan. We had a good discussion, but everything went according to plan.

“It was very satisfying. I said before Newmarket I needed another two weeks, ideally, and that's what cost her the race at Newmarket – it just came a little bit soon in the season for her. But she progressed well since Newmarket and the warm weather was a huge help.

“We will look at the Coronation now as a possibility, depending on how she comes out of the race.”

Hayes was thrilled to see Tahiyra get back to winning ways, after Newmarket.

“I'm obviously relieved, proud of the filly. I know we could do no more in Newmarket, but I was very deflated after and I took it hard," he told Racing TV.

“I was delighted racing was called off the next day, because you don't get opportunities like that too often and it's not too often you get a filly like that.

“I had felt like the jockey is always the one to blame, isn't he? And you are always going to blame the driver, but nobody did and it was self-criticism.

“But we were able to get things right today, tactically I had to be very aware from where I was drawn and needed a willing partner, and by god she's good.”