RACING:IT IS being billed as the clash of the week and the battle of the mares but whatever the label, Quevega versus Voler La Vedette is one to savour in today's Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle at Punchestown.
Reducing Grade One prizes worth €160,000 down to a match is a dangerously presumptuous pastime and there is an argument to be made that the three-mile staying prize is actually much more complicated than a simple one-on-one.
On official figures, Quevega’s stable companion Mourad is rated the equal of both mares, with all three currently on marks of 158. There is also the presence of the English-based raider Get Me Out Of Here, who is an intriguing starter at this three mile trip.
But even making allowances for the opposition, it remains difficult to seriously envisage anything other than a potentially epic struggle through the mud between Quevega and Voler La Vedette.
The pair have met only twice in their careers to date, with Quevega emerging in front both times, in this race last year, and in the 2010 David Nicholson Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham.
On the latter occasion, Voler pulled way too hard for her own good in the early stages and last year Quevega looked all but invincible in winning the World Series Hurdle for a second year in succession. Colm Murphy, though, believes Voler La Vedette is a different proposition this season and that looked very true as she presented the great Big Buck’s with a real challenge at Cheltenham last month.
“Quevega is obviously a very good mare and beat us in this race last year, but I think our mare is after improving a good bit since then,” the trainer said yesterday.
“She ran a blinder in Cheltenham and seems to be getting better all the time. She’s handled softer ground all right before, so I wouldn’t have any worries on that score.”
The fact remains, though, that Quevega is a truly exceptional mare. She is seeking a hat-trick in this race after completing a four-in-a-row at Cheltenham last month when a slow pace briefly looked to conspire against her only for Willie Mullins’s star to quicken away up the hill.
She is famously lightly-raced but this is her fifth Punchestown Festival and the fact she won so well at Cheltenham, at a time when some of the Mullins horses didn’t fire properly, shows how hardy she is.
“We were delighted with her performance in Cheltenham, especially considering the way the race was run,” said Mullins yesterday.
“She showed huge speed, which we know she has as we’re not afraid to run her in two-mile races either. But it suits us with Hurricane Fly to run her in the three-miler.” The champion trainer added: “Voler La Vedette ran a cracking race against Big Buck’s in Cheltenham. It will be an interesting race. I wouldn’t have any worries about the ground for our mare, I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
There rarely are too many worries about Quevega. Good and all as Voler La Vedette has been this season, the clash, battle, whatever you want to call it, still looks set for only one result.
