Sport

Tahiyra captures Coronation Stakes for Dermot Weld at Royal Ascot

Tahiyra, ridden by Chris Hayes, wins The Coronation Stakes during day four of Royal Ascot
Tahiyra, ridden by Chris Hayes, wins The Coronation Stakes during day four of Royal Ascot

CHRIS Hayes celebrated his first Royal Ascot winner as Tahiyra landed the odds in the Coronation Stakes.

Veteran trainer Dermot Weld has made no secret of the regard in which he holds the filly and having gone down narrowly in the Newmarket Guineas, she made amends in the Irish equivalent.

With her Newmarket conqueror Mawj absent on this occasion, it was left to Meditate to take the field along but Ryan Moore set only a steady pace with Tahiyra settled in last.

Not surprisingly the field bunched up two furlongs out, with Tahiyra needing to pass them all and while she came across the eventual second Remarquee when quickening up, the result was confirmed after a stewards' inquiry.

Tahiyra (8-13 favourite) crossed the line a length clear of Remarquee, with Sounds Of Heaven a further head back in third.

Weld saddled his first Royal Ascot winner 50 years ago with Klairvimy in the 1973 King Edward VII Stakes.