Irish 1,000 Guineas tips and odds: Tahiyra backed for glory

Belfast Telegraph

28 May 2023

Irish 1,000 Guineas tips and odds: Tahiyra backed for glory

The fillies-only Irish 1,000 Guineas, the second of two Irish Classics this weekend, is run on Sunday at the Curragh (3.50pm).

A field of 10 has been declared, including 1,000 Guineas runner-up Tahiyra and three entrants from Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard, including Meditate, who was sixth at Newmarket, while Jackie Oh has been supplemented for a fee of €50,000.

O’Brien has dominated this race over the past couple of decades. He has been successful a record 10 times, with Empress Josephine his latest winner in 2021.

Curragh, 3.50, Sunday May 28 – Irish 1,000 Guineas odds

Odds are courtesy of BoyleSports, correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.

Breege @ 33/1

Irish 1,000 Guineas betting predictions

Next best: Meditate @ 5/1 with BoyleSports

Odds correct at time of publishing and may be subject to change.

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Tahiyra can go one place better

After an unbeaten campaign as a two-year-old, TAHIYRA went into the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket this month as the filly to beat. Despite having to settle for second place, she enhanced her reputation again in the British Classic.

Dermot Weld’s runner was involved in a fantastic battle with Mawj in the final furlong at HQ. She just got outbattled by the Godolphin runner, who was a little more experienced than her. The pair were more than seven lengths clear of the third-placed horse, which was impressive for a Classic.

Weld was very honest before the 1,000 Guineas in that he felt that race may have come just a couple of weeks too soon for her this year. That suggests there is more to be expected from this filly as the season progresses.

Connections of Mawj have resisted the temptation of going for the 1,000 Guineas double this weekend and have opted against taking on Tahiyra again for now. That means she is the standout runner in this field by some way.

The daughter of Siyouni won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes over 7f at this venue last September. She can have further success at the Irish course – and by the time the season ends, it would be no surprise if she was the leading three-year-old filly on either side of the Irish Sea.

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Meditate the best chance for O’Brien

With five wins as a two-year-old, MEDITATE was always going to be one of O’Brien’s best chances of winning a Classic in 2023. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf winner was second in the Moyglare Stud Stakes behind Tahiyra and she also had to settle for the runner-up spot in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

O’Brien’s filly was a respectable sixth out of 20 runners in the 1,000 Guineas on what was her opening run of the campaign. She took a keen hold in the early stages of that race, which did not help her rider Ryan Moore.

The daughter of No Nay Never proved at Keeneland last November that she gets 1m. If she can settle better at The Curragh, a course she has featured at three times (two wins and a second), she can make good use of her electric turn of foot in the final couple of furlongs.

Moore has opted to ride the Breeders’ Cup winner over the other two O’Brien runners (Jackie Oh and Dower House), which suggests he still has a lot of confidence in her. If any of the young ladies in the field have the ability to upset Tahiyra, it is Meditate.

Selection: Meditate @ 5/1 with Boylesports

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