Qipco 1000 Guineas
Group 1, Newmarket 15:35
£500,000 guaranteed,
3yo only,
1m, Class 1  
Sunday 7th May 2023

Boylesports Races

1 Mawj 9/1
2 Tahiyra 6/4
3 Matilda Picotte 33/1
20 ran Distances: ½l, 7½l, 2¼l
Time: 1m 37.92s (slow by 2.02s)

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained Mawj won an all time great battle with Tahiyra as the two went miles clear of the field.

The Exceed And Excel filly showed guts aplenty under a superb ride from Oisin Murphy to score by half a length.

The winner had to do the hard work on the near side as the 20-strong field split into two groups – and it always looked like being a two-horse battle from the dip.

Tahiyra fell out of the stalls, but made silky-smooth headway under Chris Hayes and the Dermot Weld-trained filly looked the most likely winner a furlong out.

However, on her first start of the season, the Moyglare winner – sent off the 6-4 market leader – just lost out to the battle-hardened Mawj, who had twice won in Meydan over the winter.

The pair were seven and a half lengths clear of Kieran Cotter’s Matilda Picotte, who had helped the set the pace on the far-side group and stuck to her guns gallantly. Caernarfon was fourth at 50-1 for Jack Channon.

FormRatings

It was a welcome return to the big-race winner’s enclosure for Bin Suroor and his third success in the race following Cape Verdi (1998) and Kazzia (2002), while it was Murphy’s second Classic after Kameko’s 2000 Guineas win in 2020.

The former champion, who has returned this season after completing a 14-month riding ban, added: “I was second in the race yesterday (2000 Guineas) and to win it is unbelievable. Thank you to the trainer and his staff, they did all the hard work.”

Bin Suroor said: “I think this is Group One number 195 around the world. 

“The filly was doing well before the race. If you saw her last year she was really tough and strong. She is a tiny filly, but she has a big heart. She is a Group Two winner here and unbeaten in Dubai. 

“I spoke to Sheikh Mohammed before we ran her in Dubai over a mile. We tried her over a mile and she did well out in Dubai. I talked to Sheikh Mohammed before we declared her and it was a great decision from him, and the filly won well – we’re happy with her. 

“Me and Charlie (Appleby) are a good team and he was with me for a long time before becoming the best trainer now. We’re good friends and have the best horses in the country, maybe even the world in our stables. We will sometimes have luck like with Mawj today, she’s a nice filly. 

“We will keep options open and see how she comes out of the race. She’s entered in French Guineas but that is probably too close to this race, but she is also in the Irish Guineas so we will take to Sheikh Mohammed and will make a decision after a week.”

Qipco 1000 Guineas Stakes
(British Champions Series) (Group 1)
20 ran
Going: Soft

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (17)    Mawj 3 9-2 Saeed bin Suroor Oisin Murphy 9/1
2 (15) ½ Tahiyra 3 9-2 D K Weld Chris Hayes 6/4F
3 (7) 7½ Matilda Picotte 3 9-2 Kieran P Cotter Ronan Whelan 33/1
4 (3) 2¼ Caernarfon 3 9-2 Jack Channon Connor Beasley 25/1
5 (16) 1 Dance In The Grass 3 9-2 Charlie Johnston Joe Fanning 200/1
6 (8) nse Meditate 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 5/1
7 (18) hd Olivia Maralda 3 9-2 Roger Varian David Egan 125/1
8 (1) 2 Lezoo 3 9-2 Ralph Beckett Frankie Dettori 12/1
9 (2) 1¼ Queen Me 3 9-2 Kevin Ryan Mickael Barzalona 20/1
10 (11) nk Embrace 3 9-2 Owen Burrows Daniel Muscutt 66/1
11 (20) ¾ Mammas Girl 3 9-2 Richard Hannon Kevin Stott 11/1
12 (10) 1 Dream Of Love 3 9-2 Charlie Appleby William Buick 17/2
13 (9) nse Stenton Glider 3 9-2 Hugo Palmer Andrea Atzeni 50/1
14 (19) hd Sweet Harmony 3 9-2 Richard Spencer Billy Loughnane 200/1
15 (13) hd Remarquee 3 9-2 Ralph Beckett Rob Hornby 17/2
16 (6) 2 Karsavina 3 9-2 Clive Cox Rossa Ryan 50/1
17 (12) 3½ Naomi Lapaglia 3 9-2 Richard Spencer Kieran Shoemark 80/1
18 (4) 17 Polly Pott 3 9-2 Ben Pauling Jim Crowley 66/1
19 (14) 5½ Fairy Cross 3 9-2 Charlie Appleby James Doyle 33/1
20 (5) 6 Powerdress 3 9-2 Richard Hannon Sean Levey 66/1