Can Tahiyra end Dermot Weld's eight-year Royal Ascot drought and land a third Group 1 win?

Galileo and Dubawi might have been the dominant sires at Royal Ascot in recent years, but there is an emerging force who will soon challenge for top honours – Siyouni.

Siyouni’s first representative at Royal Ascot was successful in 2015. That was Ervedya in this race and the sire has since had another two winners at the meeting. Le Brivido won the 2017 Jersey Stakes and Paddington landed the St James’s Palace on Tuesday with a runaway win.

Tahiyra is the latest of the sire’s progeny to line up in Group company at the royal meeting and she need only turn up on her best form and victory will probably be just a formality.

The Aga Khan-owned filly has been beaten only once in four outings, when losing to Mawj in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket. But that rival doesn’t line up here and the front two pulled seven and a half lengths clear of the rest that day. That is one of the two best runs on offer.

The other was also achieved by Tahiyra when she beat Meditate by a length and a half in the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh last time. That was the second time the pair met and on both occasions Tahiyra came out a comfortable winner, yet Meditate is the big danger again.

That tells you more about the lack of strength in this race than anything, but that’s not to say we can’t still see a special run from Tahiyra, who has the right dam’s side of her pedigree too.

Her dam Tarana is by Cape Cross and horses by Siyouni out of mares from that sire have an impressive 21 per cent (12-56) strike-rate and a £1 level-stake profit of £17.03. Probably the most famous filly bred along that cross was Laurens, who won six Group 1s for Karl Burke.

Pedigree isn’t everything, but if there is one horse bred to compete with Tahiyra it’s definitely Queen For You. She is by a Royal Ascot winner and out of one, as her sire Kingman won the  2014 St James’s Palace Stakes, while her dam Fallen For You was successful in this in 2012.

She is closely matched with one of the other Kingman fillies in the line-up, Sounds Of Heaven. The pair finished a short-head apart when first and second, Sounds Of Heaven in front, in the Listed Michael Seely at York last time and renew rivalry on the same terms.

Many observers thought Sounds Of Heaven got the run of the race there and that Queen For You would turn out the better of the pair in time. It will be interesting to see which way the race goes this time, especially with Jessica Harrington’s team seemingly firing on all cylinders. She won the Kensington Palace with another filly, Villanova Queen, on Wednesday.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Tahiyra out to break Weld's longest Royal Ascot drought

The eight years since his last Royal Ascot winner is the longest Dermot Weld has gone without success in British Flat racing's biggest fixture since his 1973 breakthrough, but the masterful Irish trainer returns with one of the hot favourites of the week in Tahiyra.

The Aga Khan's filly has shown an incredible level of talent in the two fillies' Classics this season. She lost out narrowly in a thrilling battle in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket to Mawj as the front two pulled well clear of the rest, and 21 days later she proved too good in the Irish equivalent, winning under Chris Hayes.

Tahiyra: easy winner of the Irish 1,000 Guineas last time outCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

A rematch with Mawj is off the cards after she suffered a setback last week, but it means the exciting daughter of Siyouni is poised to be Weld's first odds-on shot at the meeting and given a chance to establish herself as the queen of the division. Victory would also complete a Group 1 hat-trick from just five starts.

Weld, looking for his first winner since Free Eagle's Prince of Wales's success in 2015, is happy with her wellbeing as she heads back to Britain 26 days after her Curragh success, but quick ground could pose her a new question. Good ground is the quickest she has so far encountered.

The trainer said: "It's been wonderful ground at Ascot all week and I just hope the warm weather forecast over the next 24 hours doesn't dry it out too much. I haven't done a whole lot with her since the Curragh but I've been satisfied with everything she has done."

Havlin given big opportunity after Gregory agony

Rab Havlin lost the ride on Gregory after he was sold by Normandie Stud and admitted it was a "hard watch" seeing his regular ride go on to win the Queens Vase under new jockey Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot earlier in the week. Yet, it could all be forgotten as he puts on the stud's pink and white silks on leading Coronation fancy Queen For You.

Owner Phillipa Cooper has let him keep the ride on the promising twice-raced outsider, whom he rode to an impressive success at Ascot in May before going down narrowly in a Listed contest at York a fortnight later.

Rab Havlin: keeps the ride on Queen For YouCredit: Edward Whitaker

She is the least exposed runner in the line-up but the jockey insists she deserves her place. The stud's Fallen For You, also trained by the Gosdens, pulled off a major shock when winning this 12 years ago and now her daughter is tasked with repeating the feat.

Havlin said: "I ride most of Philippa's horses in the yard and she's been very loyal to me and kept me on horses that I've won on. I suppose it's just a bit unfortunate that they sold Gregory, given he won on Wednesday. That was a little bit of a hard watch. 

"She's a talented filly and we wouldn't be pitching her into this level if we didn't think so. Had things gone her way the last day at York she probably would still be unbeaten now – she was just a little bit inexperienced – but we think she's improved since then. It's an ultra-competitive race but we're hoping for a big run."

O'Brien: 'Meditate can take another step forward'

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Meditate has trailed Tahiyra three times, but got closer than ever when the pair clashed last time and the Coronation contest could be set play to her strengths.

She was successful at this meeting last year on quick ground and reaffirmed her liking for a faster surface when striking in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November. This will be the first time they clash with firm in the going description.

Meditate (Ryan Moore) winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in NovemberCredit: Edward Whitaker

Furthermore, Meditate handled Keeneland's sharp bends well and the only time she has taken on Tahiyra in a race round a full turn was her latest one-and-a-half length second in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

O'Brien said: "We're happy with her and we think she's still coming forward. She had a bit of a hold-up in the spring, so we knew she'd take a step forward from Newmarket to the Curragh. She did that and we think she can take another step forward again. She's done everything nicely at home over the last few weeks."

What they say

Richard Hannon, trainer of Mammas Girl
It looks a good race and it'll be very hard to beat the favourite, but it'll be better ground than we encountered in the Guineas and she's going round a bend for the first time. She looks well and has had a nice easy time since Newmarket and I'm hopeful she'll show herself up better than the Guineas.

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Sounds Of Heaven
She's in great form and was tough and hardy when winning at York. She steps up into a Group 1 now, but has bounced out of the York race really well and we think she's capable of running a big race.

Ralph Beckett, trainer of Remarquee
She's had a decent gap between the Guineas and this race, and has worked well.
Reporting by James Stevens

Read the rest of our Friday previews:

2.30 Royal Ascot: 'The stiff six furlongs at Ascot should be ideal' - plenty of confidence behind one of season's fastest juveniles 

3.05 Royal Ascot: 'We were delighted with him at Haydock' - can Little Big Bear justify favouritism in the Commonwealth Cup? 

3.40 Royal Ascot: 'This race looks ideal and we're confident of a good run' - Fox fancied for the Duke of Edinburgh  

5.00 Royal Ascot: 'She's our best chance of the week' - find out which trainer is pinning Royal Ascot hopes on 16-1 Sandringham chance  

5.35 Royal Ascot: Can Derby second King Of Steel go one better for Amo Racing in King Edward VII Stakes?  

6.10 Royal Ascot: 'This has been the plan for a long time' - who has been laid out for the ultra-competitive Palace of Holyroodhouse? 

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