Weld-trained Tahiyra takes Fillies Maiden in Galway

Dermot Weld expects the beautifully-bred Tahiyra to go on to bigger and better things after making a sparkling debut on day two of the Galway Festival. The master of Rosewell House has made Ballybrit his own over the years and this daughter of Siyouni was sent off at 7-2 to make a successful start to her career in the Colm Quinn BMW Irish EBF Fillies Maiden. The two-year-old is a half-sister to the trainer's brilliant racemare Tarnawa, who finished third in the same race on her introduction in 2018 before going on to win three Group Ones and take second in last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. It might be a little early to suggest Tahiyra can scale those heights, but she certainly looks to have inherited a good portion of her sibling's ability judged on her six-and-a-half-length romp under Chris Hayes, prompting Paddy Power to give her a 20-1 quote for next year's 1000 Guineas.

Magic Chegega holds off Casanova to win the Colm Quinn Mile Handicap for trainer Brian Duffy, with jockey Colin Keane aboard #GalwayRaces #rteracing pic.twitter.com/7pCypCw4W2

"She'd been working very well and I was pleased with her. She's a slightly smaller edition than Tarnawa, her brilliant sister. She's done everything right," said Weld. "At this stage she probably has more pace than Tarnawa, she's by Siyouni so you'd expect that. "Let's hope she has the wonderful courage and constitution that Tarnawa had, who was a multiple Group One winner around the world for me. "This filly is very talented in her own right. She has a lot of the characteristics of her sister, she's very similar in many ways and she showed immediate talent. "We'll see how she comes out of her race, but she'll go at stakes level next time." Weld also had news of stable star