JESSICA Harrington showed at Punchestown that Willie Mullins’ dominance in Ireland is not quite absolute, though the Co Carlow man had another excellent Cheltenham, his novice hurdlers Vautour and Faugheen looking particularly impressive.

Even so, the darling of the party was inevitably Quevega, the extraordinary mare who runs only a couple of times each season but claimed a record-breaking sixth straight Mares’ Hurdle, sponsored these days by OLBG but likely always to be thought of as the David Nicholson.