A daughter of Walk In The Park out of the six-time Cheltenham heroine Quevega, the seven-year-old upheld family honour by winning six of her first nine starts under rules, including a Grade 3 success at Fairyhouse in January. She failed to fire in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in the Cotswolds last month, but Paul Townend kept the faith on her return. Mullins – who enjoyed a 17/1 treble at Cork – said: “Like her mother she’s maturing with age. Quevega had a big heart and she’s breeding mares with a big heart as well.” Aurora Vega (12/1) disputed the lead from the flagfall and went clear heading out onto the second circuit. She got close to the last two hurdles, giving Fergal O’Brien’s British raider That’ll Do Moss a sniff of victory, but Aurora Vega found plenty on the run-in to emerge victorious by two and a quarter lengths. Spindleberry (3/1) initiated the Closutton brace by maintaining her unbeaten record over fences to provide Mullins with a record sixth victory in the WillowWarm Gold Cup. The champion trainer saddled three runners in the Grade One feature, though that number was reduced by one after the early pacesetter Ile Atlantique unseated his son Patrick at the third fence. His exit left his stablemate and 7/4 favourite Champ Kiely in front and he quickly built up a buffer over the chasing pack under Townend, with Danny Mullins and Spindleberry his closest pursuer. Champ Kiely remained in front rounding the home turn, but Spindleberry took over coming to the final fence and found plenty on the run-in to score by four and a half lengths, with Gordon Elliott’s Firefox staying on to beat Champ Kiely to the runner-up spot and deny Mullins a 1-2. Across the water, Absurde helped Mullins reduce Dan Skelton's lead in the trainer's championship to £27,877 when leading home a one-two for the defending champion in the BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Hurdle Handicap Hurdle at Plumpton. Absurde was one of four contenders for Mullins in the £75,000 feature and having started the day £69,357 adrift of Skelton, the Closutton handler clawed back £58,080 in one hit after Daddy Long Legs (second) and Sir Gerhard (sixth) both picked up a slice of the prize-fund alongside the 9-4 winning favourite. Mr Escobar added £7,290 when second in the concluding Phoenix Cycles Remember Ray Prior Handicap Hurdle to further eat into Skelton's advantage, with Mullins finishing the day on £3,208,180 and Coral making the Irishman 1/4 to lift the UK champion trainer trophy for the second time at Sandown next Saturday. However, Mullins is refusing to get carried away. Speaking at Fairyhouse, the Closutton maestro said: "I'm just taking every race as it comes. It's going to be hard fought, and Dan seems to have the upper hand now unless things really go our way. "We've had a lot of luck in England and it's hard to think we'll keep having more. "I just saw the end of the race (at Plumpton) so it looked good. Absurde looked very good and Nico (de Boinville) looked to be going very well on Daddy Long Legs." Absurde, which has previously won the Ebor and County Hurdle and twice run with credit in the Melbourne Cup, was expertly steered by Harry Cobden, who rode Captain Cody to a key Scottish National success for Mullins last week. Cobden said: "He's had a tendency to be keen in the past, but we went nice and fast early so I didn't have any problems there and he settled well and jumped brilliantly. "I thought Harry Skelton [on Knickerbockerglory] would take me into the race and I followed him everywhere, winged the third-last and then it was just a case of keeping a leg each side coming up the straight. "Ruby Walsh, David Casey and Willie all said to have just one go at the last and when you are on a horse with as much class as him, it is easy." Skelton had taken his lead past £75,000 prior to the afternoon's feature after Lady Kluck finished third in the opening mares' maiden hurdle and Major Fortune (third) and Hidden Heroics (fourth) both contributed to the pot in the BetGoodwin Master Trainer Chris Gordon Handicap Chase. Knickerbockerglory (fourth) and She's A Saint (fifth) limited the damage of Absurde's victory when picking up minor money behind the winner in the main event, while 5-2 favourite Shakeyatailfeather's game victory in the BetGoodwin Top Bookie Handicap Chase saw Skelton to a total of £3,236,057. "We've got a lot of entries over the coming week, but I'm sure it will come down to Sandown and I've said that the whole way through," Skelton told Sky Sports Racing. "You will see us at all the meetings this week and I'm not giving up. I've got too many supporters who are wanting us to do this and want us to do this as much as we do. "So I'm not giving up and if we go and get kicked around the park on Saturday because we haven't got the right team, then so be it. We'll have led every day until the last day of the season. "I'm actually enjoying it all as last year we got caught but never really felt like we could win, but this year we have a sporting chance. We're not the favourites but we've a lot of support and it feels fun. It's a privilege to be the competitor. "At the end of the day we have to enjoy it as we've put so much into the season and had an unbelievable year and hopefully that is enough." Skelton is also drawing inspiration from his father Nick's long wait for an Olympic showjumping gold medal and Rory McIlroy's recent Masters triumph, adding: "I remember going to the Athens Olympics with Dad convinced he was going to win and he went into the last round leading, went and had three down and didn't get a medal. "The disappointment of that just reminds me things can be disappointing then come right afterwards. "I know it's on a different level, but look how long it took Rory McIlroy to win a Masters. I was watching that last weekend thinking 'you know what, sometimes it is not meant to be easy' and hopefully we will get our time one day."