'She looks to have improved physically' - connections confident Tahiyra can go one better in Irish 1,000 Guineas

Since the turn of the century only four fillies have arrived at the Curragh for the Irish 1,000 Guineas with a higher rating than Tahiyra. 

Attraction (119) and Finsceal Beo (120) did the English-Irish 1,000 Guineas double in 2004 and 2007, while Homecoming Queen (120) and Minding (120) were beaten favourites in 2012 and 2016.

Tahiyra did not win at Newmarket, but she did just about everything else. She cut through the pack impressively after hallway and pulled clear with Mawj.

She could not get past the Godolphin filly but still pulled a long way clear of the rest and big-race rider Chris Hayes feels a repeat performance might be good enough here.

Hayes said: "She’s in good shape and has come out of her race at Newmarket very well. She looks to have improved physically and her coat has come. She went down all guns blazing at Newmarket and I would hope a repeat performance would have her just ahead of the opposition. It’s a privileged position to be in and one I'm really looking forward to."

Dermot Weld has been happy with his star filly in the three-week period between Newmarket and the Curragh and said she has not missed a beat in her preparations. 

He applied similarly positive comments to Tarawa, who earned her shot at a Classic with an eyecatching effort in a trial at Leopardstown when only finding the front-running Zarinsk too good. 

Weld said: "Both my fillies are very well and I'm extremely happy with how their preparations have gone. I couldn't be happier with them."

When asked how worried he was about the better ground for the odds-on favourite Tahiyra, Weld said: "I just hope this wonderful heat we have been getting over the last few days doesn't make the ground too quick."

'Meditate will be much happier on this quicker ground'

Aidan O'Brien has enhanced his chances of winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas for an 11th time by supplementing Jackie Oh but Meditate remains the number one hope judging by jockey bookings. 

Ryan Moore has stayed loyal to last year's brilliant Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner, despite the fact she has almost 11 lengths to find with Tahiyra from their clash at Newmarket. 

The ground will be very different here to what it was on the Rowley Mile, however, and O'Brien is expecting a bold show. 

Meditate: one of three runners for Aidan O'Brien in the Irish 1,000 GuineasCredit: Alex Livesey (Getty Images)

O'Brien said: "Meditate has been very good since Newmarket and she will be much happier on this better ground than what she ran on in the Guineas. It was quick ground when she won the Albany at Ascot and very fast when she won at the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland so she will be more at home on this surface."

Explaining the decision to supplement Jackie Oh, a Naas maiden winner who was collared late in the Salsabil Stakes at Navan over 1m2f last time, O'Brien said: "We weren't really sure about the trip [1m2f] for Jackie Oh going to Navan. She was just nabbed there so we've decided to come back to a mile. She's a strong traveller and a mile shouldn't be a problem."

Dower House completes the three-pronged Ballydoyle challenge and O'Brien said: "She seems in good form and she'll take her chance."

What they say 

Fozzy Stack, trainer of Aspen Grove and You Send Me
Aspen Grove should appreciate the drier ground. She seems in good order and hopefully should run well. You Send Me is a big filly who is improving the whole time and ran well against the older horses at Leopardstown. Hopefully she can give a good account.

John Quinn, trainer of Breege
She wintered well. She was slow to come to hand but I'm happy with her now. Tahiyra will probably be very hard to beat but we're rolling the dice.

Kate Harrington, assistant to Jessica Harrington, trainer of Eternal Silence
It’s been a frustrating spring with Eternal Silence as she was meant to run in a few maidens but we didn’t run her due to the soft ground. Thankfully the sun has shone for the last ten days and we’re going to have good ground. She goes there in great form. She's a big filly and has really filled her frame over the winter. She's had a few racecourse gallops and we go there hopeful of a big run.

Read our Sunday previews:

2.45 Curragh: Vadeni and Bay Bridge clash in top-quality running of Tattersalls Gold Cup 

3.15 Curragh: 'We're looking forward to it' - 1,250,000gns purchase Jumbly makes debut for Joseph O'Brien 

4.25 Curragh: Can anything silence Drumroll as O'Brien goes in search of 17th Gallinule win? 

Do you want £200+ of free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.