By Tom Frary
The word was out for the Robson De Aguiar-trained Maria Quiteria (Churchill) at Dundalk on Friday evening and the filly lived up to all expectations with a command performance.
Sent off the 4-9 favourite for the five-furlong two-year-old maiden won 12 months ago by Starman's Lady Iman, the €25,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 graduate was on the front end from the outset under Donagh O'Connor and hit the line with 4 1/4 lengths to spare over stablemate Belle Island (Ubettabelieveit).
“Maria Quiteria is a nice filly who has shown a lot of class at home,” De Aguiar said. “We had the opportunity to get the Goffs bonus and we will go forward on the turf now. Six or seven will be no problem for her and I think she has a really bright future. We will probably run her in Naas in the Group 3 for fillies over six furlongs–she's a very sound filly and is clean-winded.”
Maria Quiteria strikes on debut in our €25,000 feature, the @IrishEBF_ Median Sires Series Maiden, under Donagh O'Connor for the First Law Syndicate and Robson De Aguiar pic.twitter.com/Eolvx6xr6H
— Dundalk Stadium (@DundalkStadium) March 27, 2026
The dam Livvys Dream (Declaration Of War) is a daughter of the Listed winner and Group-placed Briolette (Sadler's Wells), a half-sister to Ballymacoll's multiple Group 1-winning sire champion Pilsudski and Danehill's fellow champion Fine Motion. The excellent family also features another multiple Group 1 winner in Youmzain and his Group 1-winning half-brother and fellow sire Creachadoir, as well as the Group 2 winners Lumosty (Fastnet Rock) and Crypto Force (Time Test). Livvys Dream also has a yearling son of St Mark's Basilica who sold for €130,000 to Haras de Meautry at the Goffs November Foal Sale.
5th-Dundalk, €25,000, Mdn, 3-27, 2yo, 5f (AWT), 1:00.86, st.
MARIA QUITERIA (IRE) (f, 2, Churchill {Ire}–Livvys Dream {Ire}, by Declaration Of War) Sales history: €75,000 RNA Wlg '24 GOFNOF; €25,000 Ylg '25 GOFORY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $17,294. O-First Law Syndicate; B-Barronstown Stud; T-Robson De Aguiar.
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