Although Mawj was a fair and square winner on the Rowley Mile, it was hard not to dispel the feeling that if the pair met again, Tahiyra would come out on top.
She had a slow start coming out of the stalls and was carried right two furlongs out before producing an excellent turn of foot to battle Mawj clear of the rest of the field.
In the week leading up to the Newmarket Classic, there had been question marks about the filly's participation in the race.
It's fair to assume that trainer Dermot Weld would not have run Tahiyra if there was a question mark about her fitness, but the filly is expected to come forward for the run.
Paddington's victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas marked a first Classic victory of the season for trainer Aidan O'Brien and he is triple-handed in the fillies' equivalent with Meditate, Jackie Oh and Dower House.
Meditate was one of the best juvenile fillies in 2022, ending her season with a victory in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. O'Brien's runners failed to shine over the course of the Guineas weekend at Newmarket with travel arrangements disrupted due to the Coronation, yet she finished a fair sixth on seasonal reappearance.
Although Meditate has looked like she may always find one or two too good at the top level, O'Brien is a genius with this kind of filly and she could easily improve.
It is difficult to entirely dismiss O'Brien's two other runners, who both boast Classic winning pedigrees.
Jackie Oh is a daughter of Jacqueline Quest, who was famously demoted to second in the 1000 Guineas whilst Dower House is a full-sister to 2000 Guineas winner Churchill.
Dermot Weld's other runner Tarnawa should not be ignored either, having finished second in the Group 3 Cornelscourt Stakes behind Zarinsk on seasonal reappearance. Inexperienced after only three starts, the Aga Khan-owned filly looks to hold plenty of ability and can continue to improve.
Of the longer-priced fillies, James Stack's pair Aspen Grove and You Send Me are interesting propositions for each-way punters.
Aspen Grove is highly erratic yet her juvenile Group 3 win and third in the Group 3 Cornelscourt Stakes on reappearance are worth noting.
You Send Me produced a big effort to finish second in the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes over a mile at Leopardstown and would be interesting if enjoying the good ground.
WIN: TAHIYRA
PLACE: TARNAWA
