Breeders’ Cup would put icing on top of landmark season for John Quinn

North Yorkshire yard has broken the £1million prize-money barrier for first time.

Highfield Princess will remain in training next season, regardless of the outcome against the world’s highest-rated sprinter at the Breeders’ Cup.

Trainer John Quinn confirmed that after “the horse of a lifetime” lines up against Golden Pal on his home ground in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland next month, the three-time Group One winner will race on as a six-year-old.

Quinn said: “If all goes well, (owner-breeder) John Fairley said that as long as she is fit, healthy and enthusiastic, she is going to race next year.

“It is brilliant news really. That is what it is all about and that’s why we decided not to be greedy and run her in the Prix de l’Abbaye. If it was her last season, we probably would have run her in the Abbaye, because she would have had two runs and that would be it.”

The sprinting superstar has taken Fairley, the long-time boss of Channel 4 Racing through his production company Highflyer, and Quinn on an incredible journey this summer.

She has raced nine times, winning five of her last six – including the All-Weather Fillies’ and Mares’ Championship final, the Duke of York and three consecutive Group Ones – and helping the Settrington-based yard top the GBP 1million prize-money barrier for the first time.

While Lord Riddiford was beaten a neck in a handicap at Nottingham on Wednesday, the GBP 3,168.75 he picked up pushed the North Yorkshire yard beyond that magical million mark.

Trainer John Quinn is heading back to Keeneland next month
Trainer John Quinn is heading back to Keeneland next month (Donall Farmer/PA)

“It is not easy, but we are pleased that we have done it,” added Quinn.

“In terms of prize-money, it is the best season we have had. It has been a good solid year, but we haven’t had as many good winners before.

“The staff are the backbone and heart and soul of the yard and the lads and lasses have done a fantastic job. It is a team effort and we all work together.”

Now Quinn is setting his sights on Golden Pal, trained by Wesley Ward, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in 2020 as a two-year-old and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last season.

Last seen in Britain finishing last of 16 in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot when things went awry for jockey Irad Ortiz jnr in the stalls, Golden Pal has subsequently won both of his next two outings.

Quinn is under no illusions of the task facing Highfield Princess, who will enter the five-and-a-half-furlong Grade One at Keeneland on November 5 – where Ward’s charge remains unbeaten in four races – on the back of three top-class victories, in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, Nunthorpe and Flying Five.

“I would say Highfield Princess is the horse of a lifetime,” added Quinn.

“We have been very lucky to have some good horses over the years – top-class Flat horses and a couple of Cheltenham winners, The Wow Signal was a champion two-year-old and was a machine – but this filly is the best one we’ve every touched.

“However, Golden Pal broke the track record at Keeneland last weekend and he is trained just up the hill,” said Quinn. “But if we are happy with her, and I hope she gets there, it will be great. We are happy with her at the moment.

“She has done absolutely nothing wrong. She has done it all – in England, France and Ireland. She has travelled all the time and nothing was terribly easy for her, but she just keeps turning up.”

Jason Hart has struck up a great partnership with Highfield Princess
Jason Hart has struck up a great partnership with Highfield Princess (/PA)

Highfield Princess soared since finishing eighth in a seven-furlong Redcar maiden on her debut as a three-year-old. She was a 58-rated maiden after her third start and yet won off a mark of 120 at the Curragh last month.

“She gets better and better,” Quinn added. “I think not racing her at two helped her. She has got a very good pedigree and a very strong will to win, and everyone at home has done a great job.

“We are hoping to get her to America, and if she gets there, it will be exciting.

“They tell me she is the highest-rated sprinting filly in the world. That is something that is unbelievable, and we are so pleased to have her. I’d really like to get her to America and have a stab at that horse.”

The Irishman hopes Highfield Princess will fare better than his last trip to the Breeders’ Cup two years ago, when nothing went right for Safe Voyage, who finished last in the Mile at the same track.

“He had a fantastic year in England and Ireland, and just got touched off in the Foret, when beaten a head and a neck – he won the Boomerang in Ireland and the City of York in England – but nothing went right in America,” he added.

“He got a knock behind his knee, and we were hoping and praying for rain, as he needs soft ground, and it was officially ‘American firm’ on the day, which is like a road. It just didn’t work, but you learn when you go somewhere like that.”

Quinn is hoping the daughter of 2000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder, who has emulated sprinting greats like Dayjur, Black Caviar, Blue Point and Muhaarar in winning three Group One speed tests in a row, will be suited by the tight Keenland track.

“I do think Keeneland will suit her,” said Quinn. “When she was qualifying for the all-weather final, I had to run her three times.

“Fair play to her, it wasn’t ideal. I ran her over five furlongs at Wolverhampton and she was second to Tone The Barone, who is probably one of the best all-weather horses, and she just got closed a little bit on the bend turning in.

“She might not have beat him, but she would have run him very close, and that day sort of cemented in my mind that she could win from five to seven furlongs.

“The Breeders’ Cup will be two turns and they will be going like smoke, but she is also a dual winner around Chelmsford and has tremendous form going left-handed. I think it will suit her.”

Should she line up in Kentucky, it will be her 10th race of a season that started in February.

“She has had a busy summer. Touch wood she hasn’t gone over the top,” said Quinn.

“The one thing I’ve learned over the years is that you can be happy with a horse, but it is an invisible line – until you’ve gone there and the horse doesn’t really perform, you can’t see it coming.

“Obviously you look out for everything, but she seems in good form and as long as we can get here there, I’m sure she will turn up.”

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