A fascinating renewal of the 1000 Guineas with a big field going to post. Starting at the top of the market, it’s hard to find too many chinks in the armour of Tahiyra. A top-class juvenile, she should improve from 2 to 3 and always been held in the highest regard by here legendary trainer. She hasn’t run since last September, but had her form franked in the interim and the vibes have been positive about her – she looks the most likely winner but is priced accordingly.
The horse she beat on her most recent start, Meditate, ran really well in the Cheveley Park Stakes on her next start, just touched off by Lezoo who reopposes here, before landing the Juvenile Fillies Turf at the Breeders’ Cup. She seemed to relish the mile there, improved with every run last season and sets a fair standard for the others to aim at. Her stablemate Never Ending Story won nicely in a trial at Leopardstown on here return, but has ground to make up with both Meditate and Tahiyra on the Moyglare form.
Mammas Girl was most impressive when landing the Nell Gwyn on her seasonal debut, striding home powerfully late. She was given a good ride there, getting plenty of cover from the headwind, but the manner in which she finished strongly suggested a mile would see her in an even better light.
She is currently two from two, as is Remarquee. She, too, should enjoy the step up to eight furlongs having ground out a win in the Fred Darling on soft ground despite looking green. She has looked a grinder so far and I’m not sure she really has the pace to win a Guineas on decent ground.
Dream looks special
Godolphin look set to have a strong hand here with their three runners having intertwined form. Mawj hammered Fairy Cross by 8.5 lengths at Meydan, and Fairy Cross went on to run a brilliant race behind Mammas Girl in the Nell Gwyn. Prior to that, Mawj had beaten DREAM OF LOVE, but that doesn’t tell the full story.
The sectionals from that race show that Mawj was far better positioned, and that DREAM OF LOVE ran a remarkable race to only lose by a short-head. She had looked most promising when winning at Newmarket on her debut – from a yard whose fillies are rarely ready on debut – and can be forgiven a third placed finish in a Listed race next time, racing too freely up with a strong pace on bad ground. She should be given a better chance to finish here and, out of a dam who was second in the Oaks, she is bred to be as good as that Meydan performance suggests she is. She looks a very interesting each-way play at 7/1.
