Oaks Day Magic
NUMBER 7: Damien Oliver and Willowy outlast the efforts of Douceur to hand Ollie his seventh VRC Oaks, the equal most of any jockey. (George Sal/Racing Photos)
politician (Sir) Gordon McArthur at Meningoort, bought Starr Faithfull for a bargain 40 guineas, but annually thereafter sent the mare back to Talindert stallions. One of her sons, Blankenburg, won an Adelaide Cup. Another, Double Blank, ran third in the 1951 Melbourne Cup won by Delta. Two other Starr Faithfull foals, sold cheaply as yearlings, came into the hands of young Tony Lopes who won a succession of country races. When Starr Faithfull’s next foal – a filly by the imported Blank – was passed in short of her reserve at the yearling sales, Lopes approached McArthur for a lease to race the filly, in conjunction with fruiterer Frank Dimattina. She was a star from the start. After Chicquita retired from racing, the mare returned to the McArthurs. To the approval of sentimentalists, she was mated with her great rival Comic Court. Their son Comicquita, foaled in 1957, finished second in the 1962 Melbourne Cup behind Even Stevens. Chicquita’s best son, sired by sprinter Todman, was the brilliant Golden Slipper and Rosehill Guineas winner, Eskimo Prince. Chicquita certainly earned her unofficial Flemington milestone.
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