Quevega (as big as 15/8 in the morning into 4/5) justified the strong support in great style in the Book The Punchestown Pavillion At The Festival Hurdle, leading before the straight, Ruby Walsh soon asserted on the French-bred mare, crossing the line four lengths in front of her stable companion, Sesenta
The five-year-old's last piece of form really caught the eye, as she was just two lengths behind Hurricane Fly, when third in the Grade 1 Prix Alain du Breuil at Auteuil last June. The Willie Mullins-trained pair went down to Grivette in that two miles three and a half furlong contest 241 days ago.
Mullins said: "I didn't think she was particularly right today and I expect plenty of improvement. She'll go for the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham. I took a bit of a chance running her today so close to Cheltenham, but she didn't seem to get too hard a race."
Cashmans go 10/1 from 12/1 about Quevega for her Cheltenham target. (EM)
