WORLD SERIES HURDLE:IT IS 25 years since the greatest race mare in Irish jump racing history, Dawn Run, had one of her most famous victories here at Punchestown and Quevega can mark that quarter century anniversary with success in the festival's day three feature.
A good case can be made for Quevega being the most accomplished of her sex to be trained in Ireland since Dawn Run. A hat-trick of Cheltenham Festival victories in the David Nicholson Hurdle guarantee her a unique place in Irish race fans’ affections and she is attempting back-to-back wins in today’s €160,000 Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle.
Trained as she is by Willie Mullins there is an obvious link to the halcyon days of Dawn Run who Mullins’s father Paddy trained to complete the Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup double. She also beat Buck House in a famous match race at Punchestown in 1986.
This evening’s Grade One feature will hardly conjure up the range of emotions that that legendary Dawn Run-Buck House clash did but on its own merits it remains an intriguing contest to tease the festival crowd.
Willie Mullins also throws Mourad and Mikael D’Haguenet into the contest but Ruby Walsh hasn’t hesitated to remain loyal to Quevega. That in itself is a testament to the quality of Quevega since Mourad was just over four lengths off the peerless stayer Big Buck’s at Cheltenham in the World Hurdle there. Even allowing for that, the presence of the Coral Cup winner Carlito Brigante and Luska Lad whose third to Hurricane Fly at Christmas gives him an obvious shout, it could be a race dominated by the fairer sex.
Voler La Vedette is another that has been mixing it with Hurricane Fly this season but upped in trip she has been dominating some Grade Two company in a style that indicates a first try at three miles might be ideal for her.
The only time the two star mares have clashed before was at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival when Quevega won easily but Voler La Vedette ruined her chance by racing too keenly. Colm Murphy insists getting Voler to settle is always a major priority and it certainly will over this trip.
But there are no such question marks over Quevega who might race sparingly but whose appearances are usually spectacular.
“We’re very pleased with the way she’s come out of Cheltenham and I’m hoping she can reproduce her form,” Mullins said yesterday. “I’m happy enough with Mourad and I think he has improved all season. We are just going to give Mikael D’Haguenet a run over hurdles as he hasn’t exactly fired over fences.”
The unknown quantity could be Luska Lad who is also attempting the trip for the first time and who usually appreciates racing right-handed. Having said that, though, the chestnut showed possibly his best form going the other way at Christmas. “He’s in serious form and we’re very happy with him. Quevega will be hard to beat but I know the form this horse is in and I’ve never had him as well before,” said his trainer John “Shark” Hanlon yesterday.
But even the always optimistic Hanlon’s comments allude to Quevega and she does look to dominate the lead up to the three mile contest. After her latest Cheltenham victory, which looked the easiest so far, Ruby Walsh described her as the “perfect ride”. Even Dawn Run was never described as that!
