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Weld Bids for Fourth Matron Win With Tahiyra

Given that only one favorite has obliged in the last decade—Legatissimo  in 2015—and that the last two winners have been 25-1 and 16-1, it is only natural to feel slightly uneasy about taking a shade of odds-on about Tahiyra  in the Sept. 9 Matron Stakes (G1). But she is unquestionably the best 3-year-old filly in training and is getting five pounds from her elder stablemate Homeless Songs , which should swing the balance in her favor.

Only once has Tahiyra been defeated. That was in the One Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket when she was mastered by Mawj , but Dermot Weld made no secret of the fact she wasn’t at concert pitch stepping on to that stage and he would have loved an extra fortnight to enhance her fitness.

Since then she has displayed a sparkling turn of foot to win slowly-run races in the Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) and the Coronation Stakes (G1). This time she has a nice draw in stall 4 and, barring bad luck in running, she should win. She deserves to be the price she is.

Homeless Songs has won on the back of absences of 168 days and 50 days, so she goes well fresh and the fact we haven’t seen her since April isn’t a negative. She is officially one pound better than Tahiyra, but has to give the weight away here. She is dangerous, though, and has a lethal turn of foot when on song.

Meditate  has blinkers on for the first time, but it is very hard to have confidence in Aidan O’Brien’s filly, while Zarinsk ‘s love of Leopardstown is probably canceled out by the fact she has 10 pounds to find on the figures with the favorite and could face a battle for early supremacy.

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Just Beautiful  likes to lead, too, but she doesn’t have to go from the front. She’s smart when she gets her ideal conditions and has been kept fresh for this. She looks overpriced at 11-1 for last year’s winning trainer Paddy Twomey.

The last time this prize went for export was 2018 thanks to Laurens , and the visiting team is this time made up of Prosperous Voyage , Olivia Maralda , and Rogue Millennium . All three would probably need a career-best to win, but the Ralph Beckett-trained Prosperous Voyage did upset Inspiral  to land last year’s Falmouth Stakes (G1) so should not be dismissed lightly.

‘I’ve been very satisfied with how she has progressed since Ascot’

Dermot Weld would appear to hold the keys to the first group 1 of the Irish Champions Festival, but which of his star fillies will be the one to unlock it?

The last two winners of the Irish One Thousand Guineas are neighbors at Rosewell House and Chris Hayes is on the newest kid on the block, the hugely talented Tahiyra.

Weld has never made any secret of the fact that she never sparkles in her homework, but he has expressed his satisfaction with her progress since landing her third group 1 in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot back in June.

He said: “Tahiyra is well and I’ve been well satisfied with her. She’s all set to run. As I’ve always said, she’s not an impressive work horse at home, so you’re not suddenly going to get any great work out of her or anything like that, but I’ve been very satisfied with how she has progressed since Ascot and she’s ready to go.”

Homeless Songs is quite the second string to have up your sleeve and the legendary trainer has been delighted with what he has seen from her in recent weeks.

He said: “Homeless Songs is a very high-class filly and she was a very impressive winner of the Irish One Thousand Guineas last year. She ran well on her comeback in the spring, but she’s just not an easy filly to keep sound. She’s ready to start her autumn campaign and is coming forward nicely, but I’d love to get another two weeks with her.”

Weld is chasing his fourth win in the Matron having been successful with Valley Forge in 1977, Dress To Thrill in 2002, and Emulous  in 2011.

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