Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes
Group 1, York 15:35
£500,000 guaranteed,
2yo plus,
5f, Class 1   
Friday 19th August 2022

SureWIn

1 Highfield Princess 5/1
2 The Platinum Queen 9/2
3 Emaraaty Ana 12/1
13 ran NR: Ainsdale, Ebro River
Distances: 2½l, 1½l, 1l Time: 57.18s (fast by 0.32s)

Trained locally in Malton by John Quinn, Highfield Princess was making just her second start over the minimum trip and was bagging her second Group One victory in the space of a fortnight having scooped the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville earlier this month. 

Richard Fahey’s The Platinum Queen blazed a trail off a featherweight of 8st in the hands of Hollie Doyle and looked set to become the first juvenile filly since Lyric Fantasy in 1992 to waltz away with this Group One prize. 

But Jason Hart and Highfield Princess soon loomed large in the shadows to put her perfect blend of speed and stamina to expert use in the closing stages and storm to a going-away two-and-a-half-length victory. 

The victory means she is the first horse since Handsome Sailor in 1988 to follow up victory in York’s 1895 Duke of York Stakes with the Nunthorpe and she was cut to 7-2 from 8-1 for Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup by the race sponsor to keep her Group One-winning run going next month. 

However, Quinn is favouring one more run in France before heading to America for the Breeders’ Cup meeting in the autumn.

Trainers Quotes

He said: “She didn’t run at two and it took her quite a while to learn her trade. She won three races as a three-year-old and then last year she won at Royal Ascot and she was placed in several Group races. This year she won the All-Weather Final at Newcastle and then we said we’d run in the Duke of York and she romped up. 

“She ran very well at Royal Ascot and then she won well in France 12 days ago. She’s come back and won really well here.

“We put her in the Foret and the Abbaye, so all being well two more runs – Foret or Abbaye, and the Breeders’ Cup.

“I’m delighted to have her.”

Hart admitted that while the duo’s Deauville victory meant a lot, a Group One win on Yorkshire turf was even more special.

He said: “She gave me my first Group One winner a couple of weeks ago and it probably means more today to do it on home soil. She deserved it.

“I was really confident, the two-year-old was giving us a nice tow and I thought I’d be able to pick her up whenever I wanted really. I thought if I could just hold her together for the middle part of the race she’d finish her race off.

“She’s definitely getting quicker.”

FreeRacingTips

Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes
(Group 1) (British Champions Series)
£500,000 guaranteed, 2yo plus, 5f, Class 1
13 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (14)     Highfield Princess 5 9-12 John Quinn Jason Hart 5/1
2 (13) 2½ The Platinum Queen 2 8-2 Richard Fahey Hollie Doyle 9/2
3 (11) 1½ Emaraaty Ana 6 10-1 Kevin Ryan Kevin Stott 12/1
6 (7) 1 Khaadem 6 10-1 Charles Hills Ryan Moore 9/1
4 (15) ½ Dragon Symbol 4 10-1 Roger Varian David Egan 14/1
14 (2) nk Royal Aclaim 3 9-10 James Tate Andrea Atzeni 5/2F
7 (3) nk Lazuli 5 10-1 Charlie Appleby William Buick 16/1
8 (9) 1¼ Raasel 5 10-1 Michael Appleby Tom Marquand 12/1
1 (8) ½ Acklam Express 4 10-1 Nigel Tinkler Rowan Scott 50/1
13 (4) ½ Flotus 3 9-10 Simon & Ed Crisford Silvestre De Sousa 10/1
3 (10) 2 Clarendon House 4 10-1 Robert Cowell Ray Dawson 66/1
10 (6) 1¾ New York City 3 9-13 A P O'Brien Wayne Lordan 80/1
12 (5) ½ Winter Power 4 9-12 Tim Easterby David Allan 22/1
NR 2 (12) Ainsdale 5 10-1 2 Julie Camacho NON RUNNER
NR 9 (1) Ebro River 3 9-13 Hugo Palmer NON RUNNER