2023 Qipco 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket: assessing the top five contenders for Sunday's big race

The Qipco 1,000 Guineas Stakes (3.40 Newmarket, Sunday) takes centre stage on Sunday afternoon and a typically competitive field looks set to contest the Group 1. Here we go through the form of the leading contenders and produce an early verdict on who will come out on top.

Tahiyra

Form: 11-

Strengths: Confirmed the promise of her impressive Galway maiden success when landing the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh in September.

That victory produced a Racing Post Rating of 116, the highest figure for the race since the introduction of RPRs.

The Moyglare form has received some fairly significant boosts since, and it seems notable that she runs at Newmarket given her trainer’s tendency to target the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

Tahiyra: impressive winner of the Moyglare when last seenCredit: Patrick McCann

Weaknesses: Has not been seen since the Moyglare and returns with her yard 0-33 with their domestic Flat runners this year.

Odds: 5-2

What they say

Dermot Weld, trainer: "I'm satisfied with her. She's never a filly who shows you much at home. Even last year she never showed us much away from the track. She's a lazy individual and hasn't grown much from two to three, but she's coming forward nicely and the plan is to run on Sunday."

Tahiyra15:40 Newmarket

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Jky: Tnr: D K Weld

Meditate

Form: 11221-

Strengths: Winner of five of her seven juvenile starts, finding only Tahiyra too strong in the Moyglare and Lezoo too good in the Cheveley Park, the latter effort providing her with valuable experience of the Rowley Mile.

Ended her two-year-old campaign with a deserved top-level success in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, an effort that belied any fears about her seeing out a mile.

Likely to be Aidan O’Brien’s sole representative in a race that the trainer has won in five of the last seven years.

Meditate bursts clear to land the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies TurfCredit: Edward Whitaker

Weaknesses: Has two and a quarter lengths to find with Tahiyra on their Moyglare run.

Odds: 4-1

What they say

Aidan O’Brien, trainer: "She's a very professional filly. She's not over big, but she's strong and versatile. She only did a gentle piece of work at the Curragh as she had been away to Tipperary to gallop a month before that and came back a little bit sore, so we had to go gentle with her. That wasn't a big enough interruption to impact her preparation and she's still on target to go straight to Newmarket. I'm looking forward to her this season."

Meditate15:40 Newmarket

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Jky: Tnr: A P O'Brien

Mammas Girl

Form: 1-1

Strengths: Winner of a 7f novice at this course on her only juvenile start.

Came with a strong late run to claim the Nell Gwyn Stakes on her seasonal reappearance, a route last year’s Guineas winner Cachet took, while the Hannon stable has also used that race as a stepping stone for their previous scorers in the fillies' Classic.

Retains plenty of scope for improvement and should relish the step up to a mile.

Mammas Girl: landed the Nell Gwyn in styleCredit: Mark Cranham

Weaknesses: This is by far her toughest test to date and, if she gets as far behind as in the Nell Gwyn, luck in running may be required.

Odds: 6-1

What they say

Richard Hannon, trainer (following Mammas Girl's win in the Nell Gwyn, April 19): "I was a bit worried about the track today, which sounds strange as she had won here as a two-year-old, but going from a novice into a Group 3 is a big ask. We'll come back for the 1,000 Guineas and, although there'll be some nice fillies turning up, she'll take a lot of beating."

Mammas Girl15:40 Newmarket

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Jky: Kevin Stott Tnr: Richard Hannon

Remarquee

Form: 1-1

Strengths: Showed a smart turn of foot to land a Salisbury novice in September and supplemented that in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury on her return to action last month.

That victory can be upgraded as jockey Rob Hornby lost his whip inside the final furlong and she was a little green under pressure.

Bred to appreciate the step up to a mile and clearly possesses plenty of natural ability.

Remarquee (right): winner of the Fred Darling at NewburyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Weaknesses: Has her quirks and how well she will handle the dip must be a concern. This is also likely to be the quickest ground that she has encountered.

Odds: 7-1

What they say

Ralph Beckett, trainer (following Remarquee's win in the Fred Darling, April 22): "She doesn't know very much, but she'll know a lot more after today and we'll certainly go to Newmarket. Her mother, Regardez, wanted fast ground so maybe it's she handles this testing surface, but I don't see fast ground being a problem. I think she's very good and she has to go to the Guineas on the back of that."

Remarquee15:40 Newmarket

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Jky: Rob Hornby Tnr: Ralph Beckett

Dream Of Love

Form: 13-2

Strengths: Beautifully bred daughter of Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture and justified market support to land a 7f novice here on debut in October.

Held in two subsequent runs, but she looked unfortunate on both occasions, becoming unbalanced in the Dip when a close third in the Listed Montrose Stakes here in October and then flying home for an unfortunate second in Dubai earlier this year.

Will appreciate stepping back up to a mile on that evidence and clearly very talented to make up ground in the manner that she did.

Dream Of Love wins at Newmarket on debutCredit: Mark Cranham

Weaknesses: Will struggle to feature if giving up a similar amount of ground here as she has been doing, while she also looked unbalanced when initially put under pressure at Newmarket, so the Rowley Mile looks like a potential inconvenience.

Odds: 7-1

What they say

William Buick, jockey (after finishing second in the Jumeirah Fillies Classic, January 27): "Dream Of Love did amazingly to get as close as she did. It was messy early, but on another day and in another stride she would have won so she was a very unlucky loser. She's a nice filly going forwards."

Dream Of Love15:40 Newmarket

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Jky: William Buick Tnr: Charlie Appleby

Verdict

Recent trial winners Mammas Girl and Remarquee face a significantly tougher assignment and watching briefs are advised for the pair. Tahiyra had Meditate over two lengths behind in the Moyglare, but the latter ended her campaign with an impressive Breeders’ Cup success, and given the yard that she hails from, it would be no shock to see the gap narrowed significantly. Even so, it might pay to chance Dream Of Love at an each-way price. She was a huge eyecatcher in a conditions race at Meydan earlier this year, flying home to only narrowly lose out to Mawj, who has since franked the form in spectacular fashion. Significant improvement is expected now stepped back up to a mile.

Dream Of Love15:40 Newmarket

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Jky: William Buick Tnr: Charlie Appleby

Qipco 1,000 Guineas Stakes (3.40 Newmarket, Sunday, May 7)

Paddy Power: 9-4 Tahiyra, 4 Meditate, 5 Mammas Girl, 6 Remarquee, 13-2 Dream Of Love, 14 Mawj, Lezoo, 20 bar

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