Tahiyra on song in Irish 1,000 Guineas success
Tahiyra ridden by Chris Hayes wins Irish 1,000 Guineas at Curragh Racecourse
Tahiyra claims Group 1 glory and boosts her claims for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot after landing the 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."
