Highfield Princess May Target Prestigious July Cup Race

Highfield Princess Could Make July Cup Appearance

The world of horse racing is abuzz with the recent performances of Highfield Princess, a mare who has captured the hearts of many. Trained by John Quinn, this gutsy six-year-old has been making waves in Group One sprints at Royal Ascot last week.

Having won three Group One titles last season, Highfield Princess was beaten into runner-up position by Bradsell in the King’s Stand and narrowly missed out on victory again when she placed third to Khaadem in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

Speaking about her performance, trainer John Quinn said: “We’re as pleased as we could be. She’s a great mare.” He went on to say that while they would have liked to win one of these races, it was still an impressive performance from his charge.

A Fairytale Rise Through The Ranks

This stunning mare had humble beginnings winning off only a mark of 58 at Ayr back in September 2020. However, her meteoric rise through the ranks saw her become a triple Group One winner last season and one of the most popular horses currently in training.

Possible Routes Ahead

Trainer John Quinn revealed that he plans to follow a similar path for Highfield Princess as he did last season. This will include runs at some prestigious events such as Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville and Nunthorpe at York before heading onto Flying Five at Curragh where they will assess how things go.

“The July Cup is also an option,” stated Quinn “for which she is currently priced around five-to-one. But we are still mulling over whether to go for it or wait a bit longer.” He added that he thinks she’s a Breeders’ Cup horse and if all goes well, they will run her in the Coolmore Nunthorpe before heading to the United States.

Other Horses In Quinn’s Stable

Aside from Highfield Princess, John Quinn had two other runners at Royal Ascot – Breege and Mr Wagu. Breege was beaten by only a length when she placed second to Coppice while Mr Wagu finished seventh when downed by two-and-three-quarter lengths behind Saint Lawrence in the Wokingham.

“We ran four horses, three of them were placed,” said Quinn. “Mr Wagyu was just out of the money but beaten a short head out of sixth place in the Wokingham so they have all run really well.”

Possible Routes Ahead For Other Horses

Quinn also spoke about his plans for Breege and Mr Wagu; he stated that they would consider where to go with Breege while Mr Wagyu might return to Ireland for the race he won there last year (Paddy Power Scurry Handicap) before heading onto Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood on August 5.