RACING:WILLIE MULLINS insists his brilliant mare Quevega is likely to compete against her own sex once again at Cheltenham next year after completing a hat-trick in the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle last week.
The seven-year-old barely came off the bridle in the Grade Two contest and plenty have called for connections to let her take on the boys in one of the championship hurdle races.
But Mullins sees little point given there is already a race which obviously suits her so well at the showpiece meeting.
“She’s run so little in her life and the couple of times she was beaten she was wrong,” Mullins said. “I think she’ll go for the mares’ race again at Cheltenham next year. It looks made for her, so why go for something else?”
Mullins enjoyed an excellent Festival with Hurricane Fly winning the Champion Hurdle and Sir Des Champs and Final Approach clinching competitive handicaps.
“Sir Des Champs is a lovely horse and he’s a chaser, but hopefully he’ll have another run before the end of the season,” the champion trainer continued.
“We’ll have a look at Punchestown and he’ll want something over two and a half miles plus I would think. Final Approach is a better horse than I thought he was and he’s a real little professional. “He went to Cheltenham with little experience but he was still able to get down and mix it with those really experienced handicappers. He just kept pulling it out and Ruby (Walsh) never gave up on him.”
Mullins later confirmed that Quevega would not be heading to the Grand National meeting at Aintree, and would instead bid for back-to-back victories in the World Series Hurdle at Punchestown. “Quevega will run in the three-miler at Punchestown. She won’t go to Aintree,” confirmed the trainer.
Hurricane Fly also remains on course to round off his season at the Punchestown Festival. The son of Montjeu has had his fair share of injury problems over the past few seasons but showed just what he is capable of with a brilliant performance at Cheltenham.
The seven-year-old is now being targeted at back-to-back victories in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle on May 6th. Mullins said: “He seems in great order and I think it’s all systems go for Punchestown.”
