John Quinn’s Malton-trained Highfield Princess lands her first Group One with a fine victory in France

The Malton-trained Highfield Princess ran out a game winner of the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville to land the first Group One of her career.

John Quinn’s mare enjoyed a great campaign last season, with her first win coming off a mark of 83 before she scored at Royal Ascot in the Buckingham Palace Stakes.

She continued to progress and finished a respectable sixth at Ascot on Champions Day, but began this season attempting to get qualified for All-Weather Finals Day.

That has proved the springboard to her success as, having won at Newcastle against her own sex, she went on to land the 1895 Duke of York Stakes against the boys and was just over a length behind Naval Crown in the Platinum Jubilee last time out.

Always handy under Jason Hart, she had her Ascot conqueror for company but a furlong out she put her stamina to good use and began to stretch away.

Owen Burrows’ Minzaal burst out of the pack to claim second with Charlie Hill’s Garrus just behind in third, but Quinn’s fellow Malton trainer Richard Fahey saw his Perfect Power well beaten.

Hart said: “The boss had this race mapped out after Ascot and he is never far wrong when he targets one.

“She’s really special. She’s owned by John Fairley who owns John’s yard, he also bred her so it’s very special.”

It was also a first Group One win for Hart, who added: “Obviously these are the races everyone wants to ride in. It’s nice to come here and get a Group One.”

Trainer William Haggas was full of praise for Yorkshire jockey Joanna Mason after she rode his Amanzoe to victory in the opening race of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot.

Great Britain and Ireland dominated the event winning five of the eight races to claim the trophy for the first time since 2017.

The home team finished over 50 points clear of defending champions the Ladies.

Mason, riding as a replacement for Hollie Doyle, got the Ladies team off to the perfect start in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Curtain Raiser Classified Stakes.

“It’s a long old straight here, isn’t it?!,” said Malton-based Mason.

“She was brilliant and gave me a great feel. I was coming down here just hoping I could do everything right and do the girls proud.”

Haggas said: “She won very nicely and has been given a perfect ride. One of the reasons the Shergar Cup is so successful is that it gives everyone a chance to meet a few foreign jockeys.

“It is a real global event and it is terrific that the girls have got a good start. Jo has proven that, given the right ammunition, she is just as good as anyone.”

The Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes is next up for Acklam Express after Nigel Tinkler’s star sprinter failed to land a blow in the King George Stakes at Goodwood.

The three-time winner has often outrun expectation in Group company throughout his career and was sent off 13-2 for the five-furlong Group Two on the Sussex Downs last month.

Stationed in stall four, the four-year-old found himself on the wrong side of the track and was unable to work his way into contention as Charlie Hills’ Khaadem stormed to victory on the far side.

However, his handler is refusing to lose too much faith and believes his run at Royal Ascot in the King’s Stand Stakes, when third at 200-1, proves he has every right to line-up in the Knavesmire Group One next.

“He’s absolutely fine, things just didn’t go our way at Goodwood,” said Tinkler. “We were on the stands rail and I think it was the only race the winner came from the far side. All being well he will go for the Nunthorpe, it’s not too far travelling for us.

“Whether he will be good enough is another question. But if he brings his Ascot form into play, he has a chance in any of these big races, so it would be foolish of us not to take our chance.”

Sir Mark Prescott’s Alpinista will attempt to win her fifth Group One in a row in York’s Darley Yorkshire Oaks on August 18.

So far all her top-level successes have come overseas, with three in Germany last season and on her only start to date this season at Saint-Cloud.

She could face her toughest test yet on the Knavesmire, though, with Oaks one-two Tuesday and Emily Upjohn and Jessie Harrington’s Irish Oaks winner Magical Lagoon all in contention, along with Paddy Twomey’s La Petite Coco.

“She was great last time and we’ll see her at York when Jessie Harrington and all those people will be trying to stop her winning five Group Ones in a row,” Prescott told Sky Sports Racing.

“She’s fine, I think she was only just there for Saint-Cloud when it all went my way, I was lucky. Whether everything will go my way at York is another thing.

“I think a little bit of the talk about her not being quite ready for it was because I’d said to everybody she hadn’t come in her coat, so it was easy for everyone to say it without fear of contradiction – I’d dug my own grave a bit there!”

Alpinista is as low as 9-4 with William Hill for the York contest.