Tahiyra shows her class in Coronation Stakes
Four and a half decades after Walter Swinburn rode Sutton Place (Tyrant) to success in the 1978 Coronation Stakes, legendary Irish trainer Dermot Weld gained a second winner of the prestigious fillies’ Group 1 contest when Tahiyra (Siyouni) consolidated her last-start Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) victory with a smooth success in yesterday’s feature.
The daughter of Siyouni (Pivotal), who Weld stated would be a ‘beautiful filly next spring’ after her impressive Moyglare Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) success as a juvenile, always travelled best at the rear of the six-runner field and made stealthy headway following the turn into the home straight.
Ranging up to be a challenger for the lead at the two-furlong pole, jockey Chris Hayes, who was enjoying his first Royal Ascot success, sent his mount for home and the pair quickened well to share the lead with Meditate (No Nay Never) before finding an extra gear inside the final furlong to move clear from that rival before holding on well from the fast-finishing Remarquee (Kingman) to score by a length.
“I wanted to be closer, but she was running keen because she half-frightened herself,” Hayes said. “I had to ride her nice and cool and get her to relax; it was a slow pace and she did well considering she was running at a quickening pace.
“She had a little look at the stands for half a stride. I can’t wait to ride this filly in a properly run mile and really see what she’s made of.
“This means a lot because a lot of people, the way they were talking I was the only chink in her armour. I wasn’t a chink today anyway.”
A stewards’ enquiry was called post-race after it appeared Remarquee had suffered slight interference from the winner at a crucial stage, however the placings were unaltered and Remarquee’s trainer Ralph Beckett revealed that the Falmouth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket on July 14 will be her next target.
“By the time she did get rolling the gap was closing. You don’t see many of ours with a sheepskin noseband, and she wears it because she is still green. She has not had that much racing,” Beckett said.
“I am not disappointed with her in the slightest, the Guineas was a non-event. She has only had two starts and she is a slow learner! She will go for the Falmouth [next], I think it will suit.”
The Jessica Harrington-trained Sounds Of Heaven (Kingman) finished third, a head behind the runner-up.
“It was a great run. On paper it looked straightforward from my point of view, and thankfully the race went like that,” her jockey Ronan Whelan said.
“My filly has run a belter and I think there is more to come from her. She is not the finished article yet. She’d be better as the year goes on.”
Bred and owned by the Aga Khan, Tahiyra (3 f Siyouni – Tarana by Cape Cross) is the third foal out of the Listed-winning Cape Cross (Green Desert) mare Tarana, making her a half-sister to three-time elite-level scorer Tarnawa (Shamardal) and useful winner Tazaral (Fastnet Rock).