By Tom Frary
Unleashed in the seven-furlong Galway maiden in which Dermot Weld had saddled the winner 14 times since 1990, The Aga Khan's Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) surged to TDN Rising Star status on Tuesday evening with a performance full of Classic promise. Sent off the 7-2 second favourite for the Colm Quinn BMW Irish EBF Fillies Maiden, the February-foaled half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) who was third in this four years ago was always travelling comfortably tracking the leader Remind (Ire) (U S Navy Flag) under Chris Hayes. Sent on at the top of the straight, the fifth 'TDN Rising Star' for her sire opened up to put 5 1/2 lengths between her and Ballydoyle's 5-6 market-leader Dower House (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the full-sister to Churchill (Ire) and Clemmie (Ire) who had experience under her belt. Remind faded to be beaten a further 2 3/4 lengths in third in a race sure to be chewed over during the next few months, by which time the winner could already be at the top.
🚀 Now that is some performance from Tahiyra
A full-sister to @Galway_Races maestro Dermot Weld's former stable star Tarnawa, the daughter of Siyouni readily opens her account at the first time of asking under @chrishayes24 @AgaKhanStuds pic.twitter.com/q87edEYhiL
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 26, 2022
In the centenary of The Aga Khan's Studs, this was the latest exciting moment for the operation and Weld was unable to put water on the flames afterwards. “She is a very good filly–I thought we'd win to be quite honest,” he said. “My concern was that our horses have been running a bit disappointingly, but we had a virus in the late Spring and early Summer which I've identified now. We'll discuss what to do with her with Pat Downes and see how she comes out of this, but she's going to stakes level next. She's very professional and knew her job, so there should be lots to come.”
Hayes was also understandably full of praise. “I've loved her from day one and she's bred to be nice,” he said. “It's just fallen into place for her to be ready for this week, but it's hard here first time out. Pedigree can overcome. She wasn't exactly electric from the gates when we tried her last week, but she was today and was able to turn it on and run through the line. She's done something her half-sister wasn't able to do at two and rides like a stakes filly–to what level I don't know.”
Weld's former winners of this include the G1 Bayerisches Zuchtrennen winner Market Booster (Green Dancer), the Irish Oaks heroine Dance Design (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), the G3 Debutante S. winner Saranac Lake (Smart Strike), the G2 Blandford S. scorers Tarfasha (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Eziyra (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Ironically, probably the best filly he has saddled in it was Tarnawa herself, who was third behind the top-class Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2018 before going on to scale the heights.
Tarnawa, who missed out so narrowly in the Arc in October, proved a phenomenon for the dam Tarana (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) who didn't make it to this Ballybrit circuit but who went on to capture the Listed Oyster S. and Listed Martin Molony S. as well as finishing third in the G3 Curragh Cup. The second dam Tarakala (Ire) (Dr Fong) took the Listed Galtres S. and was third in the G3 Noblesse S. Tarana, who has had only three runners including this filly, has a yearling colt by Frankel (GB) and a filly foal by Lope De Vega (Ire).
3rd-Galway, €20,000, Mdn, 7-26, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:31.02, gd/yl.
TAHIYRA (IRE), f, 2, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Tarana (Ire) (MSW & GSP-Ire, $141,525), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Tarakala (Ire), by Dr Fong
3rd Dam: Tarakana, by Shahrastani
O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (IRE); T-Dermot Weld. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €12,000. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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