Quevega retired after shock Punchestown defeat
Fresh from landing the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival for the sixth successive year, the Willie Mullins-trained Quevega was the 9-10 favourite to secure a fifth victory on the bounce in this three-mile Grade One contest.
She travelled with her usual zest for much of the journey, but Ruby Walsh was hard at work from the home turn.
After the race Mullins said: “I’ve just spoken to the owner, I think we are going to start discussing her next career as a broodmare.
“It’s not too late to cover her. Her racing career is finished now
“We didn’t get a lot of luck in running, let’s leave it at that.
“You’ll never replace the likes of her, we try to buy good mares all the time but she’ll leave a fair gap in our yard.
“I’ll be sorry to see her go, but she finishes in one piece and is sound.
“She’s pulled up sound, she’s had a tremendous career and I’ll be sorry to see her go.”
He added: “She’s a special mare and it would be hard to repeat what she’s done.
“We’ll always be trying to buy one like her but you can’t replace her."
