Highfield Princess (Ire) | Horse Racing Free Tips

York: Highfield Princess Back on the Knavesmire to Defend Nunthorpe Crown

Friday sees the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. take centre stage at York with the returning heroine of last year Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) the star turn in the line-up for the Win-and-You're-In contest ahead of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Emphatic 12 months ago when dismissing the 2-year-old The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), the John Quinn-trained 6-year-old has to do it all again with another juvenile Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) lurking with his 21-pounds weight-for-age swing.

Having come up short against the revitalised TDN Rising Star Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) in the G1 King's Stand S. and finished third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. at the beginning and end of Royal Ascot, there was a question mark over whether the formidable mare retained her level of last season. Having brushed off those doubts when regaining her dominant aura in the G2 King George S. at Goodwood earlier this month, she returns to the track at which she also won the 2022 G2 1895 Duke Of York S.

“It's a spicy race,” Quinn said. “When a three-year-old wins a King's Stand you have to sit up and take notice and the two-year-old is a Royal Ascot winner and a Goodwood winner and looks really tough, hardy and mature, so they are two and something else could pop up who at their best could be in the mix. Goodwood was very good, so we're hopeful anyway. She's done so much and people expect plenty from her, but she seems in good nick and she loves this place, which is all you can ask.”

Bradsell, who also went through a fallow period after his G2 Coventry S. success last June, was remarkably having his first try at this five-furlong trip when upstaging Highfield Princess at this year's Royal Ascot but he has to do it on the flat, fast strip which offers such a contrast to the Berkshire venue. “We thought he might not have as much early speed as the Australian sprinters, but he showed more speed than ever before and really thrived down in trip,” Hollie Doyle said of the King's Stand performance. “He's our flagbearer at Archie's and it's great to be going to the Nunthorpe with a live chance again.”

The Mick Appleby-trained Big Evs, one of the key members of his remarkable sire's first crop, has been added at a cost of £40,000 following his Listed Windsor Castle S. and G3 Molecomb S. successes with his connections hoping they have timed it right with that huge weight concession. Clipper Logistics' TDN Rising Star Dramatised (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) won the G2 Queen Mary S. last year and the G2 Temple S. on her 3-year-old bow and this could be ideally poised if she can put a disappointing effort in the King's Stand behind her.

“It was a non-event at Ascot, we thought we were drawn on the wrong side,” the owners' racing manager Joe Foley said. “Danny [Tudhope] came in and said he looked up two furlongs out and they were a long, long way behind. Also the ground was quite dead on the first day of Ascot and she needs fast ground, hence we missed the King George at Goodwood. She has been working very, very well, so it'll be interesting to see where she stands with the proper group one sprinters now that she is a mature three-year-old and is getting her ground.”

TDN Rising Star Johannes Brahms Heads Gimcrack cast…
In the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack S., Ballydoyle are represented by TDN Rising Star Johannes Brahms (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), still exciting and unexposed having chased home Big Evs in the Windsor Castle over an inadequate five furlongs. Ryan Moore already knows all about the impressive Listed Dragon S. winner Kylian (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who may have been compromised by Goodwood's soft ground when third in the Molecomb, so major market support for the Aidan O'Brien raider will be significant.

“I rode Kylian in the Molecomb and we didn't see the best of him there,” Moore said. “He may be the one to beat, up in trip, but Johannes Brahms is a colt with improvement in him. He already brings a good level of form to the table, winning over sic furlongs on his debut and then chasing home Big Evs stepped down to five in the Windsor Castle, and he is a horse I like.”

This is always tough and the presence of the G2 Vintage S. winner Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) and Clipper Logistics' highly-regarded Newmarket novice scorer King's Gamble (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) are another two to stand out. The latter, who is trained by Ralph Beckett, earned a supplementary entry with his performance on debut and Joe Foley explained, “He's a horse that we will probably step up to seven soon, but Danny Tudhope thought he showed a lot of speed at Newmarket that Friday and the sectionals backed that up, so we thought we would give the Gimcrack a go.”

Courage Mon Ami On Retrieval Mission In The Lonsdale Cup…
Another who failed to shine at Goodwood's Qatar Festival was Wathnan Racing's G1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who became like so many others lost in the backwash behind Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Goodwood Cup. Having learned from that experience, connections will possibly be looking for a change of tactics in Friday's G2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup. John Gosden is hoping the 4-year-old can put up a fight this time. “We all know the Goodwood Cup was an interestingly different sort of race and not dissimilar to the Lonsdale last year, really,” he said. “He couldn't get a run and then when he did get a run, the race was over. So, he had what I call a nice racecourse gallop, really!”

Quickthorn, who had given forewarning to his Goodwood rivals with a 14-length beating of Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in this 12 months ago, is the enviable mount of Tom Marquand who understands just how fast to go throughout the early stages of these staying contests. “In the Lonsdale, he pretty much ran away with me if I'm honest,” he admitted. “I was going to make the running, but I didn't intend to go that fast and he was doing too much really. But he's a lot more measured now and at Goodwood he never felt as though he was going that quick. Hughie [Morrison] has done an amazing job having Quickthorn right on the day so far and he's no one-trick pony. Far from it. He doesn't have to make the running, so long as he finds a rhythm and is in his comfort zone and he only has to beat horses he has beaten before.”

The post York: Highfield Princess Back on the Knavesmire to Defend Nunthorpe Crown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Infinite Possibilities On The Knavesmire

Sir Michael Stoute unveiled his 2022 Epsom Classic winner at York's three-day Dante meeting and bids to repeat that trick on Wednesday as he puts TDN Rising Star Infinite Cosmos (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) to the test in the G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. over an extended 10 furlongs. Following the astronomic performance of Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at Chester last week, the Oaks appears cut and dried as long as the Ballydoyle starlet stays on track but that is not a certainty during this volatile time of year, especially for the fillies. Infinite Cosmos did more to impress in defeat on debut than when breaking her maiden at Newmarket 12 days ago and Stoute himself described that as workmanlike, so it may be that the Rothschild homebred reaches her obvious potential later than June as was the case with her Sea The Stars-sired relative Crystal Ocean (GB).

Making The Great Leap Forward

Following the Cheshire Oaks, the story of this year's Epsom Classic is the race just to stay in the relative vicinity of the newest and potentially greatest middle-distance filly Rosegreen has produced in the Aidan O'Brien era. Her incredible closing sectionals, fascinatingly compared with Shergar's in Simon Rowlands Sectional Spotlight blog on the At The Races site, mean that all remaining trials for Epsom will have to pass the clock's inspection. One who has the potential to put up a big figure in that respect is another who recently received the TDN Rising Star honour in Linda Shanahan and Emily Magnier's 9 1/2-length Newbury maiden winner Gather Ye Rosebuds (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}).

“It was a great result first time and she put in what looks like an outstanding performance,” trainer Jack Channon said. “I feel like, mentally and physically, she's improved from that run. She's a big filly that's maturing day in, day out. She hadn't quite lost her coat at Newbury, but she's really shining now. She's started to flourish in the last three weeks and I couldn't be happier with the way all her work and everything like that's gone.”

The Yardsticks

Every Classic trial worth its salt needs proven performers and the Musidora has those thanks to the presence of Roisin Henry's G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf fourth Midnight Mile (Ire) (No Nay Never), Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's G1 Fillies' Mile runner-up Novakai (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Weldspec Glasgow Limited's G3 Prix Penelope runner-up Sea Of Roses (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), with the latter having beaten Infinite Cosmos last term. Richard Fahey is happy that Midnight Mile, a relative of Sadler's Wells's Oaks winner Quarter Moon (Ire) and runner-up Yesterday (Ire), will be more at home racing further than a mile for the first time.

“She has wintered extremely well and we are very happy with her,” he said. “She has filled out and I should imagine this trip will probably suit her well, but this is a good Musidora, a very good race and it will be a good filly who wins it. She started late last year and she took a little time to come to herself, so I haven't rushed her this year. She got some nice experience last year and we've always felt she would make a better 3-year-old, so fingers crossed.”

Welcome Back, Princess

In the day's feature G2 1895 Duke Of York Clipper S., Highfield Princess (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) makes her keenly-anticipated return to action in the race that saw her reputation take off towards the stratosphere 12 months ago. Those expecting a repeat would be well-advised to remember that the G1 Nunthorpe S., G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Flying Five heroine came into the 2022 renewal on the back of an all-weather campaign consisting of four races and is under a Group 1 penalty this time. That may tell with the likes of Bennett Racing's improving G1 Al Quoz Sprint runner-up The Astrologist (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) and Nick Bradley Racing's high-class 3-year-old Marshman (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}) in attendance and race-sharpened.

John Quinn is aware of the different task this time. “She had a break after America, but she's been back in a while,” he explained. “We're pleased how she's training, but all of her life she's been getting the mares' allowance and now, with her Group 1 penalty, obviously she's giving weight to colts which won't be easy.”

Marshman took part in just about the best 2-year-old race over this six-furlong trip in 2022 when second to Noble Style (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G2 Gimcrack S. at this track's flagship Ebor Festival and will be primed after his return win in Chantilly's G3 Prix Sigy last month. “If you look at the horses behind him in the Gimcrack, Cold Case was four lengths behind him and Royal Scotsman was six lengths behind,” Nick Bradley said. “I think that was a really, really good race. What I was impressed about at Chantilly was the way he accelerated away from the field. We expected him to get tired and he did, but he's come out of the race really well and it should put him spot-on for this.”

A Star At Vichy

Meanwhile in France, Vichy stages its first Flat meeting of the season and plays host to Europe's second juvenile black-type contest of the year. The Auvergne track's highlight is the five-furlong Listed Haras de Beaumont-Prix des Reves d'Or-Jacques Bouchara, which has attracted seven fillies and features Craig Bernick and Haras d'Etreham's TDN Rising Star Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never). Out again quickly for Francis-Henri Graffard following her deeply impressive debut effort over six furlongs at Chantilly earlier in the month, the half-sister to the dual Group 1 hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) descends from the great Urban Sea (Miswaki) so this drop back in trip is revealing. She encounters Amo Racing's similarly unbeaten Redcar novice winner Komat (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), more of a dyed-in-the-wool sprinting type from the Dominic Ffrench Davis stable.

The post Infinite Possibilities On The Knavesmire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Breeders’ Cup Still The Aim For Highfield Princess

Three-time Group 1 winner Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) is still pointing toward a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland in November, according to trainer John Quinn. They bay has enjoyed a busy campaign, but has reached a new level as of late summer, with three consecutive Group 1 victories in August and September: the Prix Maurice de Gheest, York's Nunthorpe S. and the Curragh's Flying Five S. on Longines Irish Champions Weekend.

“All being well, she goes to the Breeders' Cup,” said Quinn. “We are happy with her, so fingers crossed, that's where we intend to go.”

The post Breeders’ Cup Still The Aim For Highfield Princess appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post