Last year’s race Winner: Inspiral Jockey: Frankie Dettori Trainer: John & Thady Gosden Owner: Cheveley Park Stud Age: 3 Weight: 9st 2lbs Starting Price: 15/8 Season Form Figures: Seasonal debut Previous Best: 1st - bet365 Fillies’ Mile (Group 1), Newmarket (October 2021) By Paul Jones Of the big three European versions of the 1000 Guineas, the Newmarket version has fared best, being responsible for 11 of the last 20 winners - and eight of those finished in the first six at Newmarket. And we look set for a rematch from HQ where Mawj  (who had previously won over 1m½f in Dubai by a wide margin and was having her eighth career start) stayed the Rowley Mile better than seasonal debutante Tahiyra  having only her third run, who Dermot Weld felt ideally would have preferred an extra couple of weeks. That’s one argument for a turnaround in form. Two more are that Tahiyra has now gathered more experience, having easily landed the Irish 1000 Guineas, and that the round course could suit her better, given how strongly she travels, helping her to utilise her turn of foot in the home straight rather than having it dragged out of her like on Newmarket’s straight mile. The pair pulled 7½ lengths clear of the remainder. The Irish 1000 Guineas winner has followed up here on nine occasions in the last 36 years, which also bodes well for Tahiyra, who once again travelled very strongly to beat Meditate  by 1½ lengths, the runner-up taking a big step forward from Newmarket having previously won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November. The French 1000 Guineas has held up more than okay, given that it wouldn’t have anywhere near the same representation as the Newmarket Classic, as seven of last 28 Coronation Stakes winners previously contested that prize (the latest being Watch Me four years ago, who was only sixth at ParisLongchamp), with five having finished second or third in that French Classic. Ervedya became the first winner of the French 1000 Guineas to win the Coronation Stakes since Toro in 1957, but many winners of that Classic now head to the Prix de Diane instead, as will this season’s impressive winner Blue Rose Cen. There have been some surprise results down the years, but this Group 1 affair for three-year-old fillies usually goes, more or less, the way of The Form Book and especially of late, with 19 of the last 23 winners found at no bigger than 6/1 in the market and 11 starting either favourite or joint market leader. Alpine Star was an unusual winner three years ago as she became the first filly to take a more softly-softly approach and bypass all the European Guineas’ in nine years. She was winning on her seasonal debut as was Inspiral last year, having not come to hand in time for the 1000 Guineas. She became only the third winner since 1999 not to have run in a Classic, but she had won a Pattern race at two though, like 12 of the last 19 winners. The pair of most interest that didn’t contest a Classic appear to be Sounds Of Heaven  and Queen For You  , who were separated by a short-head in a Listed contest at York last month. As far as trainer trends are concerned, Sir Michael Stoute has won four runnings, one ahead of Aidan O’Brien and the Gosden stable, but the record of the French overall catches the eye most, with four winners in the last 13 years and two of those that weren’t French-trained were French-owned and saddled by Jessica Harrington, who could saddle Sounds Of Heaven here. A wider draw hasn’t been a disadvantage on the round mile. Far from it in fact, with 10 of the last 12 winners drawn in the higher half and six of those from the highest three stalls. Positives: Finished in the first six in the 1000 Guineas Finished in the first three in the French 1000 Guineas The Irish 1000 Guineas winner The favourite French connections Won a Pattern race as a two-year-old Drawn in the higher half Negatives: Not run in a Classic Likely to start at bigger than 6/1 Beaten in the Irish 1000 Guineas