TAHIYRA TO LAND THE CORONATION

Paul Ferguson fancies the 1,000 Guineas second to come good at Royal Ascot

All the talk during the first weekend in May was of the King’s Coronation, but Newmarket also staged the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas, and in the latter, beaten favourite and runner-up TAHIYRA ran a stormer and is one to stick with throughout the summer, perhaps even being coronated herself in June.

Trainer Dermot Weld expressed concerns about the readiness of his star juvenile and confessed beforehand that he would have preferred another week or two for the daughter of Siyouni.

She still ran an absolute cracker, coming from off the pace to get within a half-length of the winner and if they are to meet again in the coming weeks, I would much prefer to be with the second. Versatile in terms of ground, she is bred to stay further, but I would expect her to win a Group 1 over a mile before going up in trip and whilst the Irish 1,000 Guineas (May 28) is an option at the Curragh, the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot could be the ideal next target. Wherever she goes, I expect her to take some beating next time.

The picture for both the Oaks and Derby are still a little unclear, with some of the key trials (at the time of writing) still to take place. Savethelastdance looked good when winning the Cheshire Oaks, but there is a suspicion that she might need soft ground to reproduce that level of form, as she had won a strong maiden on heavy the time before. Given how short she is in the ante-post market, you would have to question her ability to handle quick ground, should we enjoy a dry and sunny start to June.