'It will be the race that stops the stud farm' - Quevega's legacy set to deepen
Aisling Crowe visits a festival legend and Facile Vega's newborn little brother
The little prince is barely visible in the rich bed of golden straw which pillows around him. Mere feet away, his mother stands watch over her precious newborn, her apparently docile demeanour hiding the true nature of her guard. At the sound of approaching footsteps, she turns to the gate, alert to any hint of intrusion.
She could be any bay mare at the Irish National Stud. Eight years away from the track, carrying her foals and nurturing their young lives have softened her muscular body so that it is no longer the hard, fit athlete's instrument which she willed up Cheltenham's hill at six successive festivals and into racing's pantheon.
But this is no ordinary bay mare, this is Quevega, and the foal she is proudly displaying to visitors is her two-day-old colt by Walk In The Park.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
- Meet the 6ft 3in Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey keen to keep going in the saddle - and the sales ring
- 'It was surreal' - meet the bloodstock stalwart who rode an Irish Grand National winner
- 'His pedigree is phenomenal and will drastically improve any mare' - behind the scenes at the National Stud
- From Azertyuiop to Galopin Des Champs - how French-breds have come to the fore at the festival and beyond
- 'I for sure didn’t want to breed sprinters' - meet the small breeders whose crowd-pleasing pair have ripped up the script
- Meet the 6ft 3in Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey keen to keep going in the saddle - and the sales ring
- 'It was surreal' - meet the bloodstock stalwart who rode an Irish Grand National winner
- 'His pedigree is phenomenal and will drastically improve any mare' - behind the scenes at the National Stud
- From Azertyuiop to Galopin Des Champs - how French-breds have come to the fore at the festival and beyond
- 'I for sure didn’t want to breed sprinters' - meet the small breeders whose crowd-pleasing pair have ripped up the script