'Very professional' Tahiyra makes the perfect first impression at Galway

As first impressions go, Tahiyra could not have made a better one than her imposing debut victory in the 7f fillies' maiden at Galway on Tuesday evening.

Trained by Dermot Weld for her owner-breeder the Aga Khan, the bay filly with the white snip on her nose, reminiscent of her sire Siyouni's own facial markings, has already achieved a feat that proved beyond her brilliant half-sister Tarnawa, whose career tally included a Group 1 hat-trick.

"Tahiyra has done something that Tarnawa didn't quite manage, Tarnawa never won at two but was placed in all three of her starts including in the Listed Staffordstown Stud Stakes," said Pat Downes, manager of the Aga Khan's Irish studs.

Tahiyra's illustrious elder half-sister made her debut in that same Galway race four years ago, finishing third to Hermosa, who would go on to win the 1,000 Guineas and Irish 1,000 Guineas the following season.

Tahiyra holds entries in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes and the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, both at the Curragh, but Downes and Weld will give the filly time to recover from her debut success before making any decisions.

"We were delighted Tahiyra got off the mark, Galway is a tough place to go to for a first run but, to be fair to her, she was very professional from start to finish," said Downes.

"We will let the dust settle now and have a chat about exactly where we are going to pitch her next. It will be a stakes race but which one and where, I don't know yet."

Tahiyra is out of Tarana, who won the Listed Oyster Stakes at Galway's September meeting, and the 12-year-old daughter of Cape Cross has made the perfect start to life as a broodmare.

Watch the replay of Tahiyra's winning debut here

Downes said: "We are very pleased, Tarana has made a great start at stud. Tarnawa was her first foal and her second, Fastnet Rock colt Tazaral, is a winner and now Tahiyra is the third.

"We won't be running away with ourselves and the next day will be interesting [for Tahiyra], but we would have to be delighted with her and her dam at the moment."

Dermot Weld and David Glennon with Tahiyra after her success at GalwayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Having produced as her first foal a multiple Group 1 winner who was unfortunate not to add the Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe to her glittering trophy cabinet last season, Tarana has continued to be covered by elite sires.

She has a yearling colt by champion sire Frankel and this spring foaled a Lope De Vega three-parts sister to Tarnawa. Sadly she recently reabsorbed her Dubawi pregnancy at 65 days, but is healthy and well.

Her Breeders' Cup-winning daughter visited Frankel for her first covering, and Downes had more positive news to report about her condition.

"Tarnawa is safely in foal to Frankel so hopefully that is something to look forward to as well," he said.

"There are not that many of these really good racemares who can produce anything of their own level, but even if you got something that had 30 or 40 per cent of Tarnawa's ability, you would still have quite a nice racehorse.

"We look forward to seeing what she can produce in the future and, as a young Shamardal mare, she has every chance of making it as a broodmare."

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