Aurora Vega completed a Closutton cleansweep of Sunday’s Grade 1s at Fairyhouse when producing a career-best performance in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle.

The two-and-a-half-mile contest had shaped up to be a thriller, with Cheltenham Festival runner-ups The Big Westerner and Sixandahalf declared, alongside the winner of the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle, Air Of Entitlement. After Gavin Cromwell’s mare was declared a non-runner due to the going, The Big Westerner was sent off favourite under Darragh O’Keeffe, only to be pulled up before two out. She was later found to be post-race normal by the racecourse vet.

Aurora Vega, meanwhile, was sent off 12/1 after her 11th place effort at Cheltenham, having previously won a Grade 3 at Fairyhouse in January. Racing prominently on Sunday, she took a keen hold under Paul Townend, and despite not jumping the final two flights well, found hidden reserves on the run-in.

A better jump at the last saw Fergal O’Brien’s raider That’ll Do Moss produce a game challenge, but Willie Mullins’ mare was not to be denied. The Hammer and Trowel Syndicate’s homebred rallied to win by two and a quarter lengths, with another seven lengths back to her tiring stablemate Karamoja in third.

Aurora Vega has another three Grade 1s to win until she matches the record of her dam, Quevega, who also won the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham six years in a row, but she was high in Willie Mullins’ thoughts on Sunday.

“Like her mother she’s maturing with age,” the champion trainer commented. “The family just seems to get better with age, and it looks like she’ll stay further. Quevega had a big heart and she’s breeding mares with a big heart as well.”

“She had that one little mishap at the last, but other than that I think she jumped well and she looks like she’s just getting better with age.

“It’s unlikely she’ll run again this season, but we’ll see what there is in Punchestown for her. I’m not looking to run her again.”