Aurora Vega successfully stepped up in class to provide trainer Willie Mullins with a 10th victory in the SBK Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
The champion trainer fired a three-pronged assault at a Grade Three contest he has dominated in recent years, with 85-40 favourite Aurora Vega joined by a couple of talented stablemates in Baby Kate and Fancy Girl.
Impeccably-bred being a daughter of Walk In The Park out of the great racemare Quevega, Aurora Vega had won five of eight previous starts and was bidding to make it back-to-back victories at Fairyhouse following an all-the-way victory at the County Meath circuit on New Year’s Day.
The choice of stable jockey Paul Townend, the seven-year-old was never too far off the pace and picked up well in the straight to pull clear of the chasing pack.
Dream On Baby briefly threatened to make a race of it after Aurora Vega steadied herself approaching the final flight, but the latter found more on the run-in to prevail by a length and three-quarters.
Beauforts Storm was best of the rest in third, with Baby Kate and Fancy Girl both disappointing.
Coral cut Aurora Vega’s odds for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival to 12-1 from 25-1.