Bin Suroor looking forward to Coronation rematch with Mawj

Irish and English Guineas winners once course to meet once more.

Mawj will head to the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot for a rematch with Tahiyra, who gained compensation for her narrow defeat in the Qipco 1000 Guineas with victory in Sunday’s Irish equivalent.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor gained a third success in the fillies’ mile Classic at Newmarket last month when Mawj showed plenty of guts to down Dermot Weld’s Tahiyra by half a length.

The Godolphin handler has always believed the daughter of Exceed And Excel would develop as a three-year-old and she duly delivered, adding to his previous success in the race with Cape Verdi (1998) and Kazzia (2002).

“She is in good form,” said Bin Suroor. “Her win means a lot. It was the third time we won the 1000 Guineas, but it had been a long time since the last one – 21 years.

“Obviously, the Classic races and the Group One races, you have to have the good horses.

“We knew last year she was a good filly, but she is a tiny filly and you have to look after her.

“I gave her a break between races, just to allow her to recover.”

Mawj is now being prepared to take on Tahiyra, who had won the Moyglare Stud Stakes last season and gained her second top-class success with victory over Meditate in the Irish Classic.

Winning the 1000 Guineas again meant a lot to Saeed bin Suroor
Winning the 1000 Guineas again meant a lot to Saeed bin Suroor (David Davies/PA)

Though she won on soft ground at Newmarket, Bin Suroor insists Mawj will not be concerned what ground conditions await her at the Berkshire track.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel, who bypassed the Curragh Classic, has had plenty of experience on differing surfaces.

In her eight starts, on which she has won five, she was victorious over six furlongs on fast ground at Newmarket, on soft ground over a mile when taking her Group One.

“She goes to the Coronation Stakes now,” he added. “I don’t think the ground matters to her, because she won on softer ground in Dubai also and she came back here on soft ground.

“I think she will handle any ground and we look forward to going to Ascot with her.”

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