Three of the best: Highfield Princess's most memorable victories

Highfield Princess won 14 of her 39 races, including four Group 1s over four seasons for trainer John Quinn and owner-breeder John Fairley. Here we recall three of her finest performances during that time . . .

Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, York, August 19, 2022

Only 12 days separated Highfield Princess making her breakthrough at Group 1 level, when winning the Prix Maurice de Gheest over 6½f in Normandy, and landing one of Britain’s fastest sprint races. As well as dealing with the travelling from Yorkshire to France and back, Highfield Princess was racing over 5f for only the second time in her career in the Nunthorpe having been beaten in an all-weather race on her only previous try at the distance. Sent off at 5-1 at York, she produced a career-best effort to sit in the slipstream of The Platinum Queen before surging clear in the closing stages to win in brilliant style.

Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes, Curragh, September 11, 2022

Having landed the Prix Maurice de Gheest and the Nunthorpe, Highfield Princess was set the significant challenge of trying to win her third Group 1 in a third different country in just over a month. Returning to soft ground after racing on good to firm at York, she produced arguably her best-ever performance when charging away from her rivals to win by a yawning gap of three and a quarter lengths. “She is a phenomenal mare,” trainer John Quinn said afterwards. Few would disagree with those words.

Highfield Princess wins last year's Prix de l'AbbayeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Longines Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp, Longchamp - October 1, 2023

Highfield Princess returned to racing as a six-year-old last year and endured a season of near misses. She had come close to winning both the King’s Stand Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, was second in the Nunthorpe and the 1895 Duke of York Stakes and had been in season when beaten in the Flying Five. She did have a Group 2 win in the King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood to her name, but had not yet claimed another top-level win. That changed on Arc day in Paris, when she unleashed her trademark turn of pace to run down Perdika and claim a fourth Group 1, it proving to be her final victory.

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'We will miss her more than words can say' - Highfield Princess dies due to fracture after stall accident 

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