Solwit and Quevega over 3 miles at the Punchestown Festival is one of the last headline jumps races we have left with this season. It looks like a mouthwatering clash and that's without even considering other possibles in the race but in reality the winner is going to be one of these two. I'm exceptionally confident that horse will be Solwit. Let me begin by saying the Quevega is, like many others, a massive personal favourite of mine and is one the of the few mares who can take on the colts over 3 miles and would be a worthy contender in any World Hurdle I've ever seen. She hasn't been beat for years and has won this Punchestown race the last two years in very good fashion. As I'm too young to have witnessed the great Dawn Run, Quevega is the best mare I've ever seen and to win at 5 successive Cheltenham Festivals is a truly legendary feat. Solwit is a horse whose had the misfortune to have been running up against the mighty Hurricane Fly over 2 miles for a good season and a half and is the only horse that's been able to get close to that one. Remember the 2010 Punchestown Festival Rabobank Hurdle...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NDxElgbe64 Solwit has won a LOT of top races and but for the Hurricane he'd have won over a dozen. Mades you laugh when you recall how the English scoffed the Fly / Solwit form prior to the 2011 Cheltenham, well no-one's making that mistake now anyways! He won the World Hurdle with plenty left but really showed his best form last week at Aintree when completely outclassing the best of the English 3 mile division. If he brings that game to Punchestown I fear the mare won't be able to go with them once Carberry (or Davy Russell?) ask him the question and I think he'll win this very cosily indeed. A race to savour and I wonder how do the forumites see it as clear cut as I do?
I'd be very confident the other way, Quevega will beat him. As good as Solwhit was at Cheltenham, I'm not really sure he ran to that high a level, beating Celestial Halo who's been poor for years, and Holywell at Aintree a handicapper. Now I know Quevega's form doesn't look that great from Cheltenham either, but she found alot of trouble in running, and when she's come up against horses that have run well behind Big Bucks in the world hurdle she's beat them, like Mourad and Voler La Vedette. I realise Solwhits better than those 2, but i just feel Quevega has abit more in the tank than she lets on. Look at how well Voler La Vedette did against BB, and on that form you'd of thought Quevega might have been in trouble last year, but she beat her easily
im with you sth,cant wait too see the black aeroplane so hope he makes it.i just started a new job n pepeople on holidays during punchy so will have to ring in sick but is risky but **** it ye dont get too see such an amazing animal in full flow that often.
Just looked at the prices, and suprised to see how the bookies have priced it up. 5/4 Solwhit, 13/8 Quevega!
Think Quevega will end up favourite in the end, as apart from the OP everyone thinks Quevega will win
Solwhit has surprised me over 3m- been superb. Remember though that Quevega made up a ridiculous amount of ground in the Mares race, and that French horse who was 2nd is going to be a serious contender next year- her trainer rates her very highly. Can't believe she has been priced up at 13/8. I would have guessed it would be the other way around.
Seems like the bookies have read my preview and are duly running for cover huh?!! I'm glad to see the support for Quevega, hopefully this indicates an even better price for me on Solwit. Much too classy he'll prove, second to the mighty Fly so many times is streets ahead of Quevega's form. The forum it appears will be very surprised with the ease of Solwit's win but I certainly won't. His turn of foot will simply leave her floundering. The only glimmer of hope she has should the race be run on bottomless ground, which is of course a possibility, but regardless I'd still expect Solwit to come out on top.
I don't see how you could be exceptionally confident of either of them beating the other. Solwhit's not beaten much over 3 miles but has won the 2 biggest 3 mile races this season. Quevega hasn't beaten much over 3 miles but is the defending Punchy 3 mile champion. They are most probably the best horses either have faced over 3 miles and it's a toss up who wins.
A very strange race from a punting perspective as in going 5/4 Solwhit, 13/8 Quevega between them the pair account for some 82.5% of the market! If someone held a gun to my head and asked me to choose between the pair I’d opt for Solwhit but I think both have major holes in them. Solwhit in that he will be attempting his third Grade 1 win inside 6 weeks (that is a very gruelling ask) and Quevega in that her form last time out was nothing other than satisfactory and a long way off true Grade 1 level – she beat a 126 rated mare by 1.5 lengths and a 131 rated one by 3.5 lengths. Personally, I think Reve De Sivola is massively overpriced at 10’s. Already, a Grade 1 and Grade 2 winner this term he was only 5 lengths off Solwhit at Cheltenham and bypassed Aintree to wait for this. I also think that Reve De Sivola’s best this season is as good, if not better, than anything that the 2 favourites have shown.
