High-Rated Tahiyra Favored in Irish 1,000 Guineas

Since the turn of the century, only four fillies have arrived at The Curragh for the Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) with a higher rating than Tahiyra does for the May 28 renewal. 

Attraction (119) and Finsceal Beo (120) did the English-Irish One Thousand Guineas double in 2004 and 2007, while Homecoming Queen (120) and Minding  (120) were beaten favorites in 2012 and 2016.

Tahiyra did not win at Newmarket, but she did just about everything else. She cut through the pack impressively after the halfway and pulled clear with Mawj .

She could not get past the Godolphin filly but still pulled a long way clear of the rest and big-race rider Chris Hayes feels a repeat performance might be good enough here.

Hayes said: “She’s in good shape and has come out of her race at Newmarket very well. She looks to have improved physically and her coat has come. She went down all guns blazing at Newmarket and I would hope a repeat performance would have her just ahead of the opposition. It’s a privileged position to be in and one I’m really looking forward to.”

Dermot Weld has been happy with his star filly in the three-week period between Newmarket and the Curragh and said she has not missed a beat in her preparations.

He applied similarly positive comments to Tarawa , who earned her shot at a classic with an eye-catching effort in a trial at Leopardstown when only finding the front-running Zarinsk  too good.

Weld said: “Both my fillies are very well and I’m extremely happy with how their preparations have gone. I couldn’t be happier with them.”

When asked how worried he was about the better ground for the odds-on favorite Tahiyra, Weld said: “I just hope this wonderful heat we have been getting over the last few days doesn’t make the ground too quick.”

Aidan O’Brien has enhanced his chances of winning the Irish One Thousand Guineas for an 11th time by supplementing Jackie Oh  but Meditate  remains the top hope judging by jockey bookings.

Ryan Moore has stayed loyal to last year’s brilliant Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner, despite the fact she has almost 11 lengths to find with Tahiyra from their clash at Newmarket.

The ground will be very different here from what it was on the Rowley Mile, however, and O’Brien is expecting a bold show.

O’Brien said: “Meditate has been very good since Newmarket and she will be much happier on this better ground than what she ran on in the Guineas. It was quick ground when she won the Albany at Ascot and very fast when she won at the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland so she will be more at home on this surface.”

Explaining the decision to supplement Jackie Oh, a Naas maiden winner who was collared late in the Salsabil Stakes at Navan over 1 1/4 last time, O’Brien said: “We weren’t really sure about the trip for Jackie Oh going to Navan. She was just nabbed there so we’ve decided to come back to a mile. She’s a strong traveler and a mile shouldn’t be a problem.”

Dower House  completes the three-pronged Ballydoyle challenge and O’Brien said: “She seems in good form and she’ll take her chance.”