Dermot Weld's Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) features among the 22 confirmations for the Qipco 1000 Guineas on Sunday. However, the King and Queen Consort's Slipofthepen (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) will not run in the 2000 Guineas on Saturday.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt was a 20-1 chance for the opening Classic of the season but did not feature among the 15 confirmations that featured the Aidan O'Brien-trained Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never).
Speaking on Nick Luck's Daily Podcast, the King's racing manager John Warren said, “I think we were all hoping for that to be the case [that Slipofthepen would run in the 2000 Guineas], especially because it would have been both the King and the Queen Consort's first Classic runner.
“But I think once we pieced all the jigsaw together and really analysed his prospects, I think we thought it's come a little bit too soon. He's an inexperienced horse who is only just learning how to use his legs as fast as he needs to.
“He's won two races on the all-weather impressively and John Gosden thinks he's up to becoming a high-class performer, [but] when we added it all together we felt it would be kinder to the horse to give him a little bit more experience.”
Weld also told Nick Luck about how he was leaning towards running Tahiyra at Newmarket on Sunday. A general 7-2 chance for Classic glory, Tahiyra was a brilliant winner of the G1 Moyglare S. at the Curragh when last seen at two.
“We've left her in at the forfeit stage for the 1000 Guineas on Sunday and the present plan is that she will run,” Weld said on Monday.
He added, “But we will make a definite decision later in the week–we'll see how she is. She's coming all the time and is a filly who hasn't really grown from two to three but I am happy. I think she has progressed nicely over the past two weeks and the present thought is that we'll let her take her chance.”
O'Brien's Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never), who was beaten by Tahiyra in the Moyglare before landing the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filles Turf, is also on course for Newmarket. She could be joined by Ballydoyle stablemate Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
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