Tahiyra well in charge at the line© Photo Healy Racing
Tahiyra took a big step up in class for the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh in her stride with a sensational performance.
Dermot Weld's Siyouni juvenile, a half-sister to the brilliant Tarnawa, had only had the one before before today when winning a fillies' maiden in Galway by an impressive five and a half lengths.
She was sent off 10/3 second favourite behind evens-favourite Meditate who was four from four including a pair of Group 3s and a Group 2.
Tahiyra was absolutely tanking for jockey Chris Hayes just in behind the leaders on the run to the final two furlongs.
Mediate attempted to kick for home racing to the final furlong and poached a couple of lengths on Tahiyra, however, she was hard at work to do so and Tahiyra was unleashed to sweep past her coming to the final 100 yards.
She won going away by two and a quarter lengths. There was a four and a half length gap back to the third home, Eternal Silence (50/1).
Hayes said: "She is a little sweetheart! She's a funny character, but the good ones normally are. She had a go at me going down and went to drop the shoulder to get rid of me.
"I said to Colin (Keane on Amazing Show going down that the half-sister (Tarnawa) wasn't a big robust filly and neither is this one, but they are both very, very good.
"When you are riding her at home in work, if you send her down with a horse rated 45, she will stay beside it. If you send her down with a horse rated 90, she will stay beside it.
"I said the one thing I am not going to do is help Ryan (Moore on Meditate). When you are riding for Dermot Weld and Rosewell, you make a plan together and the confidence is instilled in you. You know if it goes wrong, you hold your hands up and there's another day. If it goes right, it is a team effort. That just gave me the confidence to keep sitting on her.
"I knew the way she was travelling on the ground, she was going to quicken on it.
"We have some of the best lads in the yard. It has been a tough summer and it has been hard work. They have stuck by it all. Thankfully, my first year in the job, things are starting to get going."
Weld added: “She did it very well and she's beaten a very high class multiple group winning filly. It was an excellent renewal of the race.
“I was afraid it might just come a little soon in her career, at Group 1 level, and I've always said what a beautiful filly she would be next spring.
“She learned a lot the first day, she did it well and enjoyed her race. She learned from it and she's progressed. We've a lot to look forward to.
“Chris has been riding exceptionally well for me all year. It was a masterclass of riding in the Group 3 at Leopardstown yesterday.
“I just told him to take his time and make steady progress as she has lots of pace and to come inside the last furlong. It takes confidence.
“We'll discuss it but that's it for this year. She's a half-sister to Tarnawa, our champion filly. There is tremendous stamina in the pedigree, brilliance and speed.
“We'll review it early next spring but obviously one of the classic trials possibly and then one of the Guineas, Irish English or French but that's a long way down the line.”
Princess Zahra Aga Khan said: “For all of us on the breeding team to see this family produce another fantastic filly is a really great thing. To watch her do that, sort of all by herself, is just brilliant.
“Dermot had given him some very clear instructions which he followed very well.
“It's been 100 years this year since my great grand-father bought the first foundation mares at Newmarket.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
