Qipco 1000 Guineas (Group 1)

THE largest field assembled for the 1000 Guineas since 2005 resulted in a contest where those drawn high fared best, although the fact that the first two pulled well clear makes it obvious that they were dominant in any case.

The pace was sound, with the winner always on the sharp end, and the runner-up travelled easily despite dwelling slightly in the stalls.

Mawj (Saeed bin Suroor/Oisin Murphy) produced the performance of the weekend to take a memorable 1000 Guineas, getting the better of Dermot Weld’s Tahiyra (Chris Hayes) by half a length after an epic battle that saw the pair pull a conservative seven and a half lengths clear of their rivals in a battle sure to be remembered for its breathtaking nature.

The 9/1 winner always travelled well close up, but looked a sitting duck as last year’s Moyglare Stud Stakes winner cruised into contention.

Edging ahead

The pair had the race to themselves from the dip, with Mawj belatedly edging ahead as the post loomed. Matilda Picotte (Kieran Cotter/Ronan Whelan) showed good speed throughout and held on for third in the 20-strong field, albeit beaten eight lengths by the winner.

This was Bin Suroor’s third win in the first fillies’ classic following Cape Verdi (1998) and Kazzia (2002), while it was a second Classic for Murphy after Kameko’s 2000 Guineas in 2020.

Mawj won the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes last July and was unbeaten in two starts in Dubai this year. She lacks the physical scope of the runner-up, but has clearly trained on very well, and seems to relish a battle.

In terms of future targets, Bin Suroor seemed to lean towards a rematch with Tahiyrah at the Curragh, saying:

“We will keep options open and see how she comes out of the race. She’s entered in the French Guineas but that is probably too close to this race, but she is also in the Irish Guineas so we will talk to Sheikh Mohammed and will make a decision after a week.”

Dermot Weld felt that the runner-up was a little “undercooked” having not had a prep run due to the wet weather, while also suggesting that the rain-softened ground took the edge off her speed.

The 1000 Guineas was run in an appreciably faster time than the 2000 on the previous day, and although the official going was soft on both days, it is important to acknowledge that the turf was beginning to dry by the time of the fillies’ race, with a slight tailwind also taken into consideration.

Mawj, a daughter of Exceed And Excel, did her racing at six furlongs as a juvenile, but is a half-sister to multiple Group/Grade 1 mile winner Modern Games and smart miler Modern News, and has clearly improved for stepping up in trip this year.

THE Group 2 Dahlia Stakes looked quite competitive on paper, and there were only a few lengths separating first and last with three furlongs to run, but it quickly turned into a procession for 5/2 favourite Via Sistina (George Boughey/Jamie Spencer).

She loomed up two furlongs out on the far side of the track, and cruised clear to record an impressive six-length success over the progressive Al Husn (Roger Varian/Jim Crowley), with Pam Sly’s Doncaster Mile winner Astral Beau three-quarters of a length further back in third.

Unlike in the Guineas, the first three raced on the far side of the track, where Prosperous Voyage set the pace, but last year’s 1000 Guineas runner-up could not sustain the gallop trying a mile and a furlong for the first time, and faded over a furlong out.

Via Sistina was given a typically patient ride by Spencer, who didn’t ask her a question until she came alongside the labouring leader two furlongs out, and he merely had to nudge her along thereafter to take control.

From that point he merely exercised his left arm to pat the easy winner down the neck as she hit the winning line full of running.

Via Sistina only joined Boughey last autumn after the retirement of Joe Tuite, for whom she was a final runner as a trainer, but she has progressed well in that short space of time, looking an unlucky loser in the Pride Stakes over an extra furlong here in October before landing a Group 3 at Toulouse.

She has yet to be risked on ground quicker than good, and holds an entry in the Middleton Fillies’ Stakes at York next week, although her trainer suggested the Pretty Polly at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend as the obvious next step.

She may do better still given how lightly raced she is for a five-year-old, and is clearly one to keep on side when conditions are on the easy side.

Pretty Polly Stakes

The Listed Pretty Polly Stakes was another race won by a wide margin, this time by 100/30 joint second favourite Running Lion (John & Thady Gosden/Oisin Murphy), who galloped her rivals into submission in a race run at a strong gallop.

She kept on very well to beat Sumo Sam (Paul & Oliver Cole/Kevin Stott) by four and a half lengths, with the others well beaten off on the testing ground.

It may have helped the winner being held up behind the early leaders, with only the runner-up able to sustain the early gallop to any great extent, but she came through smoothly and lengthened away from her rivals in the style of a Group 1 performer.

She’s entitled to take her chance in the Oaks on the strength of this performance, but it would appear that connections are more likely to go to the Prix de Diane at Chantilly with her, given the winning rider’s immediate reaction on dismounting was to keep her at a mile and a quarter.

Sumo Sam lacked the gears to go with the winner, but shaped like a stayer. She doesn’t hold an Oaks entry, but will run in either the Ribbledale at Royal Ascot or another mile and a half race.

Adayar back in groove for step up in class

THE Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes was one of several blacktype races rescheduled from Sandown after waterlogging had claimed the original fixture, and Derby winner Adayar (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) was firmly back on track with victory after a curtailed 2022 campaign.

The five-year-old edged left out of the dip but kept on strongly to justify 5/6 favouritism by two and a half lengths from Anmaat (Owen Burrows/Jim Crowley), and set himself up for a crack at the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The runner-up had to concede 5lb to the winner for landing the Group 2 Prix Dollar on Arc weekend, so emerges with plenty of credit, and like the winner, is likely to benefit from the run. He is likely to run in either the Tattersalls Gold Cup or the Prix d’Ispahan next, according to his trainer.