Curaracha given May return date

Group One-winning sprinter La Cucaracha is likely to make her seasonal reappearance in May before heading to Royal Ascot a month later.

Barry Hills’ five-year-old was a revelation last term and after lifting the Listed Cammidge Trophy on her seasonal debut at Doncaster in April, she went on to take the Group Three Ballyogan Stakes at Leopardstown, the Skybet Dash and the prestigious Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Connections will delay her return until May this time around, however, as they look to move up the gears before a possible tilt at either the Golden Jubilee Stakes or the King’s Stand Stakes at the Royal meeting in June.

“It’s been a hard old winter but I saw her last week and she has coped very well,” said owner-breeder Guy Reed.

“It’s going to be tough now, what with the Group One penalty, but we’ll give her a run in May just to wind her up a bit before Ascot.

“She’ll give weight to all of them but I don’t think that would be a problem because I can’t think of anything than her faster over the trip in this country.

“The main thing is that she remains healthy – she certainly is at the moment.”