Big-race preview & tip: 1000 Guineas

Going and weather

Soft following rain throughout Saturday afternoon. Weather forecast for Sunday: sunny spells and a possible isolated light shower 20C.

Timeform tip - Tahiyra

TAHIYRA looked very good when comfortably accounting for Meditate in the Moyglare and is selected to prove too strong for her old rival again, although Aidan O'Brien's filly was well suited by the step up to 1m in the Breeders' Cup and may get a bit closer this time. The fact Remarquee still looked far from the finished article in the Fred Darling raises a few doubts about how she'll handle the Dip but she must be highly talented and is third choice ahead of Dream of Love.

Timeform Top rated: Tahiyra 128p

Timeform Pace Map

Pace Forecast: Very Strong

Draw Bias: Strongly Favours High

Specific Pace Hint: Those that race prominently at this trip here are usually favoured but a very strong pace is on the cards and that will probably take the advantage away from MAWJ (IRE) and towards LEZOO.

Individual Price Hint: KARSAVINA touched an in-running low of 25% or less of her starting Betfair SP when meeting with defeat on her most recent outing.

Key quotes

Aidan O'Brien - Meditate: “We’re going to learn a lot about her, she’s a very lazy worker at home who only shows you what she has to. Unless you stoke her up she just stays in second gear really, but we’re very happy with her work.”

Tom Pennington - Mammas Girl & Olivia Maralda: “Mammas obviously won the Nell Gwyn and is unbeaten,” said Tom Pennington, racing andShe goes there having won twice at the track and some experts have said she is not going to get the trip, but I disagree. In her two starts, her last furlong has been her best and she has hit the line strong both times. She’s a relaxed and laid-back filly and I really don’t see the mile being an issue.

“She will be held up and ridden patiently to come with one late run like she has done both times. She’s just ticked over since the Nell Gwyn and Richard is very happy with her. To go there with a leading contender is really exciting and she goes there with a good chance.”

“Olivia Maralda is not a bad second string to have and I think she is too big a price if you think she ran Meditate to three-quarters of a length in Ireland last year. She hasn’t missed a day with Roger and he’s really pleased with her. Whether she is good enough to win, who knows, but she goes there in good form.”

Ralph Beckett - Lezoo & Remarquee: “We thought about a trial, but she’s pretty experienced and she’s not a filly who needs a race. We decided it was likely to prove inconclusive with regards to her stamina, and that it made more sense to run her in the Guineas and find out for sure one way or another, then drop her back to sprints if she didn’t stay. She’s had a pretty straightforward preparation and she’s ready for this. She did her last bit on the grass on Tuesday and that went well.

“Remarquee is the obvious one. She didn’t really get the run of the race and Rob (Hornby) dropped his stick with half a furlong to run, yet she still won with one ear pricked, having wandered around. She’ll have learned a lot. We’ve been here before, having won a few Fred Darlings, and it can be tough getting a filly back in time for the Guineas, but all of the signs are good. She didn’t have a hard race and I’m very happy with her.”

Hugo Palmer - Stenton Glider: “She’s in great form. I just flicked through the 21st century winners of the 1000 Guineas and from what I can see, 10 of the winners had trialled and only four of those winners who trialled had actually won their trial. More horses have been beaten in their trial than won their trial. She was beaten two-foot at Newbury and so we’re going to give it a very good go.”

Clive Cox - Karsavina: “I’m really pleased with her and she’s a progressive filly. The Nell Gwyn was precisely as it was intended as a trial and I feel she has come back really well from there. An extra furlong will be most helpful. She has a lot of class and moved up well through the race in the Nell Gwyn and I’m looking forward to seeing her going another furlong."

Jack Channon - Caernarfon: "She is in great form and trained really well all winter and her work, touch wood, has been perfect. I think we’ve got her exactly where we want her and it will be down to simply whether she is good enough now. I always thought she had plenty of experience. It is not like she’s won her maiden and that’s all there is. She had a decent amount of experience as a two-year-old, she won over course and distance last time and she is not a filly who is too hard to get fit. She looks to have improved and she is not the most imposing type, but she is very athletic and I could not be any happier with her at this moment in time."

Key video form

TAHIRYA & MEDITATE - 1st & 2nd Curragh 11 September 2022

MAMMAS GIRL - 1st Newmarket 19 April 2023

REMARQUEE - 1st Newbury 22 April 2023

LEZOO - 1st Newmarket 24 September 2022

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