Dermot Weld's classy filly Tahiyra crowned in Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot

The Irish 1,000 Guineas winner's task was made easier following the defection of Newmarket Guineas heroine Mawj earlier in the week, but she still had the Ascot round course and a red-hot Ryan Moore to deal with here.

Moore grabbed the initiative on the front end aboard the Aidan O'Brien-trained Meditate, but the daughter of No Nay Never had been beaten by Tahiyra three times before today and it soon became clear it was going to be four defeats on the bounce.

Chris Hayes loomed up over his rivals soon after the turn for home aboard the favourite, and though the stewards had a look as Tahiyra caused interference in behind it was minimal and no surprise the placings remained unaltered.

Remarquee was one of the fillies affected and she did well to finish a length behind in second, with Sounds Of Heaven staying on for third ahead of the fading Meditate.

WATCH Tahiyra lands the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot

Talented

Weld, who saddled his first Royal Ascot winner 50 years ago with Klairvimy in the 1973 King Edward VII Stakes, said: “I though she put in an excellent performance, I think she was a worthy winner.

“With a very small field I always knew it was going to be a tactical race and she has so much pace. She’s a very talented filly.

“She was very brave and she got a lovely ride from Chris the way the race turned out, he rode her hands and heels and she was a very deserving winner.

“The plan was always to give her a nice holiday, a nice break. She’s had a very busy spring and early summer and she needs a nice break now and we’ll look at a programme for her in the autumn.”

On stepping up in trip later in the season, he said: “It will be considered, it is a possibility.

“She is learning more about racing and getting more professional. I thought she won fair and square.

“Her sister (Tarnawa) was unbelievably tough and stayed really well, won the Breeders’ Cup Turf and won those two very good Group Ones in France for me and was just beat a neck in the Arc when the ground was too dead for her on the day. A brilliant racemare, her sister and this one is equally as good – but they are different. This one has more pace.

“I enjoy so much training these fillies. I know the families and do my best training them.

“I was a bit concerned in the early part of the race, but he did the right thing and reverted to Plan B, which came into action, just take your time – it is a long straight at Ascot. She has brilliant speed and he should hold on to her – and that’s what he did.

“She is a lovely tempered filly, a lovely animal to deal with. She has her moments, like all fillies – she is a very talented filly.”

Dream result

Hayes said: “It wasn’t straightforward. She lost her hind leg coming out of the gate. I had to go to Plan B, because she got a little bit keen, which was unlike her.

“They were going very steady, so she had to be good to pick them up, running at a quickening pace. She idled a bit – I just can’t wait to ride her in a true-run race, it was so stop-start.

“The boss told me to ride her with confidence. She is the fastest filly in the race and I just rode her like she was the best.

“The stewards inquiry actually had nothing to do with me – the inside horses concertinaed.”

Asked what it meant to win a Group One at the Royal meeting, he added: “In these (Aga Khan) colours? It is the stuff of dreams. I still can’t believe it!”

Ralph Beckett was thrilled with the effort of Remarquee and said: “When she got rolling, the gap was closing.

“You don’t see many of ours in a sheepskin noseband, there’s a reason she’s wearing a sheepskin noseband – she’s still green.

“She’s run her legs off, she’s lost a lot of ground and she’s run on again. She made up a length in the last half-furlong at least.

“I’m very proud, I’m not disappointed with her in the slightest.

“The Guineas was a non-event, so she’s only had two starts, and she’s a slow learner.”

Remarquee’s rider Rob Hornby added: “It was a slowly-run race and it’s just nice to see that she’s stepped up, she’s put that run at Newmarket behind her. It probably came a little bit early in the season after a hard run in the Fred Darling.

“I’m delighted, she was a bit unlucky in running. She was aways finishing off her race slowly, we were quite far out as well.”

Timeform View: David Cleary

With her Newmarket conqueror Mawj an absentee, the Coronation Stakes on paper looked pretty straightforward for Tahiyra. She had the best form by some way, and although several of her rivals were open to improvement, it seemed unlikely they would be able to bridge the gap if Tahiyra was near her best.

The main questions were the firmer ground than Tahiyra had run on previously and the prospect of a lack of pace. As it turned out, Tahiyra coped well enough with the conditions and overcame the lack of pace in convincing fashion, travelling well held up and picking up when asked to score pushed out.

Tahiyra did edge right as she made her move and caused a problem for the eventual runner-up Remarquee, who rallied well after being checked in her run. The interference, while quite substantial was not of a magnitude to raise any thoughts that the stewards would revise placings.

As for the form, it didn't require a vintage performance, with Tahiyra probably not running any better than when winning at the Curragh, the first four covered by a couple of lengths, the Irish Guineas runner-up Meditate in fourth, beaten a shade further than she had been by Tahiyra last time.

The prospect of Tahiyra being pushed harder may well depend on Mawj being able to get back on the track.

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