Proud mum Quevega now the dam of two Grade 1 winners as Aurora Vega rises to challenge at Fairyhouse

Quevega's career was a rebuttal of received logic and as a broodmare, the Cheltenham legend has continued in that vein and upended cliches about the fate of top-class racemares as broodmares.

The six-times Cheltenham Festival heroine is now the dam of two individual Grade 1 winners following the triumph of her daughter Aurora Vega in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares' Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

By Walk In The Park, who looks certain to retain the title of champion National Hunt sire this season, the seven-year-old carries the same red and blues silks as her dam and star-crossed full-brother Facile Vega and, like them, is trained by Willie Mullins.

In an interview with Gary O'Brien on Racing TV, the trainer recalled the knowledge imparted to him by Quevega's breeder Pierre Rives. 

"I remember Quevega's breeder telling me that the family improves as they get older – six, seven, eight, nine, they just get better," Mullins said.

"It looks to be that way with her [Aurora Vega] because she never showed that sort of stuff at three and four. You know you are always trying to make a good three or four-year-old out of them but I think you have to wait and be patient, let them come to you rather than you trying to force them."

With the season-ending Punchestown Festival rapidly approaching, Mullins was not overly keen to run her again this season particularly with Rives' wisdom chiming so loudly.

Quevega is extending her fabulous record into her breeding careerCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I was particularly pleased with the ride Paul [Townend] gave her. He kept out wide and knew if he stayed there, he would keep out of trouble. He kept her mind focussed and apart from that one little mishap at the last, she jumped well. She looks like her mother, she looks like she gets better with age," Mullins added.

Aurora Vega was bred by Sean Deane and Ger O'Brien of the Hammer and Trowel Syndicate who enjoyed incredible success with both Quevega and Facile Vega, successful in eight of his 13 starts including the Cheltenham and Punchestown Champion Bumpers, Leopardstown's Future Champions Novice Hurdle and the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

They are two of the four winners from four runners that Quevega, who resides at the Irish National Stud, has foaled so far.

Her first foal, the winning Beat Hollow mare Princess Vega, was sold through the Irish National Stud for €150,000 at the 2024 Goffs February Sale to Swanbridge Bloodstock. Princess Vega was offered in foal to Walk In The Park and Gerry Aherne of Coolmore went to £70,000 to secure that foal at the Goffs British National Hunt Breeders' Showcase at Doncaster last December.

Quevega is also the dam of Cameletta Vega, a six-year-old Camelot mare who made a winning debut in a bumper at the 2024 Galway Races for the Hammer and Trowel Syndicate and Mullins.

Now aged 21, Quevega is the dam of an unnamed five-year-old mare by Australia and she has produced three and two-year-old full-brothers to Aurora Vega. Quevega returned to Walk In The Park in each of the previous two seasons but was barren in 2024.

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