Perfect six for the queen of Cheltenham

Six years, six wins, all in the same race.

It’s a record that should be impervious to criticism or qualification yet Quevega’s achievement in claiming the Mares’ Hurdle here at Cheltenham year after year since her bow in 2009 hasn’t been heralded unquestioningly.

Observers were wondering why she hadn’t been bumped up to have a crack off a World or Champion Hurdle long before she had half of her wins under her belt. The London Times wrote yesterday of a “Grade 1 horse running in a Grade 2 contest”.