John Fairley's top sprinter Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) has been retired from racing with immediate effect after suffering a “very serious and concerning” injury in her stable on Tuesday morning.
The mare's trainers John and Sean Quinn, via a statement issued on social media on Thursday, said, “That morning she was transferred to Rainbow Equine Hospital and has been in their care ever since. Her progress over the past few days has been encouraging and whilst she still has a way to go to make a full recovery we are hopeful that with time and care she will be OK.”
The seven-year-old was bred by Fairley from the Danehill mare Pure Illusion (Ire). Unraced at two, Highfield Princess plied her trade in handicaps as a three-year-old before shooting up the ranks in the ensuing seasons. She claimed her first black-type success in the Listed Queen Charlotte Fillies' S. at Chelmsford at four before a standout season as a five-year-old when she posted back to-back Group 1 victories in three different countries in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, the Nunthorpe and the Flying Five. She claimed another top-level success last year in the Prix de l'Abbaye. In total, her 14 wins from 39 starts included six Group victories.
Fairley said, “What a fantastic mare she has been. An Australian owner commented last year that she was probably the fastest mare in the world. To have bred and raced a mare to win three Group 1 races in five weeks in 2022 was fantastic. We hope that she will make a full recovery and be fit to take up broodmare duties next year.”
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The catalogue for Arqana's annual Breeze-up Sale, set to be held May 9-11 at Deauville, is now available online.
This year 207 two-year-olds are on offer, including the progeny of leading European stallions such as Dubawi (Ire), Frankel (GB), Sea The Stars (Ire) and Siyouni (Fr), as well as top US-based sires such as Gun Runner and Justify. More than 80 stallions are represented altogether.
The breezes will take place on the grass at Deauville-La Touques Racecourse on Thursday, May 9, followed by a day of inspections on Friday, May 10. The sale takes place on Saturday, May 11, beginning at 11am.
All horses offered at the Breeze-up Sale are eligible for the Arqana Series which boasts guaranteed minimum prize-money of €1.2 million. Four races will be run at Deauville on the Thursday evening before the August Sale starts, including three two-year-old races and one three-year-old race. Another contest for juveniles will be run on the Saturday of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend.
The post Arqana Release Catalogue for Breeze-up Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
