Chicquita Nears Return

Last term’s G1 Irish Oaks victress Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) is being readied to make her eagerly awaited return in the Sept. 14 G2 Blandford S. at The Curragh. It will mark her first start for Aidan O’Brien after a racecourse absence of almost 14 months. The bay, who also ran second to Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) in Chantilly’s G1 Prix de Diane for previous trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre, was acquired by current connections for €6million from the Paul Makin dispersal at last year’s Goffs November sale. 

“The plan is to start her at the Curragh in the mile-and-a-quarter fillies’ race,” O’Brien said. “Everything has been going well so far and we will hopefully go on from there. There’s the Arc weekend where she has the fillies’ race [G1 Prix de l’Opera] or the [G1 Prix de l’] Arc [de Triomphe]. I suppose we’ll get her started first, see how that goes and then a pick a race after that.”