Mullins's Quevega has world at her feet

WORLD HURDLE REPORT:IT'S NEARLY quarter of a century since Dawn Run was killed in a fall in Paris but a wildly popular feature success for the French bred Quevega at Punchestown last evening indicates she might just be one of those rare mares to grab a hold of Irish racing's imagination.

A pair of Cheltenham victories over the last two years in the newly-inaugurated David Nicholson Mares Hurdle was always going to earn Quevega a place in many hearts.

But a Grade One success in yesterday’s Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle came against males and over a three-mile trip she had never faced before. Neither factor ever remotely looked like troubling the Willie Mullins-trained star who won by a comfortable three lengths to leave a selection of mouth-watering options open to her next season. “She could go for the mares again, and I don’t see stamina being a problem after that. And I wouldn’t be afraid to drop back to two miles either!” grinned Mullins after Quevega’s three-length defeat of Bensalem and her stable companion Mourad.

“But it wouldn’t bother me if we did again what we’ve done this season and she doesn’t run next season until Cheltenham. We might keep her for the two big days again,” he added. Such selectivity is contrary to the way Dawn Run was campaigned but there is a versatility to Quevega that echoes the legendary Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup heroine. Since Dawn Run was trained by Paddy Mullins, there is also an obvious link too to the current star handled by the old master’s son. Since those heady days of the mid 1980s, some hugely talented females such as Mucklemeg and Aries Girl have flickered briefly on the racing firmament while Solerina and Asian Maze were remarkably tough and consistent performers.

But Quevega could be at another level again if bookmaker reaction to yesterday’s success is a guide. The big race sponsors go only 5 to 1 about her relieving Big Buck’s of his stayers crown while she is a general 16 to 1 shot for the Champion Hurdle. As for the mares event, there is only evens available about a hat-trick.

Before all that Mullins has a decision to make about whether or not to return to Auteuil next month for a summer campaign leading up to the French Champion Hurdle in June.

Quevega got hurt in one run back in her homeland last year and Auteuil will always be identified in Irish racing as the place where Dawn Run lost her life just months after that epic Gold Cup.

But it has also been a happy hunting ground for Ireland’s current champion trainer and he said yesterday: “I don’t know about France but there is fantastic prizemoney on offer there and it is very tempting. We have to be mindful though that it is where she got a bad injury last year and too much racing might aggravate that.”

Mullins was also pleased with Mourad’s effort and said: “He ran a cracker for a five-year-old and used up all his petrol trying to beat Quevega.”

It was the runner-up’s trainer Alan King that reflected Quevega’s dominance on the day when he admitted: “The winner is an exceptional mare. I would love to have won but you can’t be disappointed finishing second to her.”