"I don't want to see it very soft" - Tahiyra camp worried about the ground at Ascot

One of the most mouthwatering clashes at Ascot on Saturday could take place in the QEII, where Tahiyra is due to take on Paddington. 

Dermot Weld's filly has established herself as the top filly of her generation this season, winning the Irish 1000 Guineas, the Coronation Stakes and the Matron Stakes. Paddington also struck at Royal Ascot following his Irish Guineas success, before going on to score in the Coral-Eclipse and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

A stunning showdown between this season's top two three-year-olds will draw huge crowds to Ascot on British Champions Day. Tahiyra's trainer, Dermot Weld spoke to the press on Tuesday and said his stable star was in prime condition ahead of her return trip to Ascot.

"Quite honestly, I think she is better than ever and I'm looking forward to Saturday." Weld told the Racing Post. "She has strengthened through the year and progressed from each run."

"I don't mind if the ground is yielding to soft but I don't want to see it very soft. We want to run on Saturday and we're being positive about that. The filly is in super order and, at the moment, our concentration is on Ascot."

The state of the ground at Ascot on Champions Day is always a cause of concern. Currently, the going at Ascot is good-to-soft. However, plenty of rain features in the forecast for the rest of the week and there's even talk of switching the action to the better hurdles track if the round course comes up heavy.

"We want to run on Saturday and we hope to run on Saturday but I do want to let the public know I would have a big concern should the ground come up extremely soft." Weld continued. "She has a lot of pace and it was very fast ground when she won at Royal Ascot and then at Leopardstown. She's not a big filly and she bounds off top of the ground.

"I was well quoted before the Guineas at Newmarket saying the race was coming two weeks too soon for me. She finished second, and I was right in my warning, but that was still a massive run on slow ground. I have no doubt she would have won at Newmarket had the ground been a little bit better but the ground was slow and it blunted her speed."

"I don't mind if the ground is yielding to soft but I don't want to see it very soft. We want to run on Saturday and we're being positive about that. The filly is in super order and, at the moment, our concentration is on Ascot."

Since Dermot Weld spoke to the press, Tahiyra has been a little weak in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes betting. Paddington is now the clear market leader ahead of his Irish counterpart. Nashwa sits third in the betting ahead of French raider Big Rock, who's been backed into 10/1.