Limerick jockey enjoys back-to-back fillies' Classic wins in the 1000 Guineas

LIMERICK jockey enjoyed Classic success at the Curragh on Sunday when Tahiyra went one place better than her Newmarket second to win the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas in dominant fashion

Unbeaten at two, Dermot Weld’s daughter of Siyouni was sent off the 6-4 favourite when coming up just short behind Mawj on the Rowley Mile earlier this month, but proved she is a filly of enormous quality to gain compensation on home soil for her Shanagolden pilot Hayes.

She was even more popular with backers this time as the 2-5 favourite in the hands of regular partner Hayes for the Curragh’s one-mile feature.

And there would have been a few nervous moments for supporters, as although Tahiyra was travelling smoothly throughout, she was penned in on the rail from her draw in stall one as the Aidan O’Brien pair of Breeders’ Cup heroine Meditate and Dower House dictated the pace.

Limerick jockey Hayes masterfully angled out his filly with two furlongs left to run and soon set about accounting for old rival Meditate and having soon asserted her superiority once again over the Ballydoyle representative, she showed plenty of courage in the closing stages to match her undoubted talent as she was driven out for a one-and-a-half-length success.

It gave her handler and jockey Hayes back-to-back victories in the fillies’ Classic after Homeless Songs’ triumph 12 months ago and she could now head for Royal Ascot and a rematch with her Newmarket conqueror, with Paddy Power and Betfair making her a 7-4 chance for the Coronation Stakes.

Hayes was thrilled to see Tahiyra get back to winning ways, after Newmarket.

“I’m obviously relieved, proud of the filly. I know we could do no more in Newmarket, but I was very deflated after and I took it hard,” he told Racing TV.

“I was delighted racing was called off the next day, because you don’t get opportunities like that too often and it’s not too often you get a filly like that.

“I had felt like the jockey is always the one to blame, isn’t he? And you are always going to blame the driver, but nobody did and it was self-criticism.

“But we were able to get things right today, tactically I had to be very aware from where I was drawn and needed a willing partner, and by god she’s good.”

Limerick horseman Hayes enjoyed his first Classic success when the Lady O'Reilly-owned Voleuse De Coeurs landed the Irish St Leger at the Curragh in 2013. Hayes landed a second Irish Classic when Awtaad, trained by Madhmoon's handler Prendergast, won the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh in May 2016. 

Hayes is a graduate of the pony racing circuit and RACE. He joined Kevin Prendergast as an apprentice in 2004 and was champion apprentice in each of the next three years.