Highfield Princess sprints to King George Stakes win at Glorious Goodwood

Sent off the 4/9 favourite, the three-time G1 winner had the five-furlong contest under control from a long way out as she travelled powerfully under Jason Hart. Once asked, John Quinn’s stable star quickened away to score by three lengths and now looks primed to defend her G1 Nunthorpe Stakes crown at York later this month.

Best of Friday’s Glorious Goodwood pictures.

Last year’s G1 Prix de l’Abbaye runner-up White Lavender (28/1) finished second, while Raasel (22/1) stayed on from off the pace to take third.

The success takes Highland Princess through the £1.5 million prize money barrier and provides both her trainer and jockey with a third winner of this year’s Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Quinn said: “Highfield Princess ran really well in the Duke Of York and maybe got a bit tired. At Royal Ascot, she was beaten just a length in the King's Stand and then four days later in the Jubilee, she ran another fantastic race.

“We decided to give her a break, which we did last summer, and we were pleased with her at home. She is a six-year-old mare and fair dues to her, she has bounced back well.

"She is a top-class filly and we are delighted to have her. She was a backward filly at two but very likeable. All she has done is improve for racing and gone from being a top-class handicapper to being the best sprinting filly in Europe, if not the world.”

Hart said: “Highfield Princess was her usual self. She jumped well, travelled great, and was much the best. The Czech [horse, Ponntos] gave me a lead and I was kind of hoping he would give me a lead a bit further. I had to commit a furlong and a half down and, on that dead ground, I thought it might blunt her turn of foot, but she has won well.”

Here’s how Thursday’s action unfolded and here is our Ladies’ Day picture gallery.

Earlier Jack Channon produced a noteworthy training performance as Johan (25/1) returned from 293 days off the track to win the Coral Golden Mile.

James Doyle managed to get last year’s Lincoln winner into a prominent position from his wide draw [18] and, in a race where not much got involved from off the pace, he was perfectly positioned to kick and hold on gamely by half a length.

Charlie Johnston was responsible for runner-up The Gatekeeper (14/1) and third home Dutch Decoy (11/1), with early leader Darkness (50/1) holding on for fourth.

At the start of the afternoon, Annabelle Hadden-Wight, who is a work rider and secretary for Jack Jones Racing, landed the 2023 Magnolia Cup. Hadden-Wight was prominent throughout on her mount Fosroc and gamely held off Eliza McCalmont on C.Eliza Doolots.

Since its inception, the Magnolia Cup has raised £2.1m for various charities. A record £324,000 was raised in 2022, with the sum donated to The Brilliant Breakfast.

This year, the Markel Magnolia Cup is supporting Education Above All’s (EEA) Educate A Child programme. All net proceeds will go to a project in Malawi that provides education and support for children most at risk of dropping out of primary education through a joint project between Education Above All and CAMFED.

Meanwhile well-backed 6/1 favourite Temporize proved ideally suited by the step up to an extended two and a half miles in the Coral Goodwood Handicap as he ran out a comfortable winner for Dorset trainer Syd Hosie.

The four-year-old, who joined Hosie from Charlie Johnston last month, travelled strongly under Luke Morris before seeing his race out with real tenacity, backing up a narrow defeat at Ascot last Friday.

The winning margin was a length and a quarter from the staying-on Robert Johnson (7/1), who was five lengths clear of third-placed Tronador (13/2).

Epictetus (6/1) came home strongly under a perfectly judged Frankie Dettori ride to upset 4/6 favourite Nostrum in the G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes.

Winner of a soft ground Derby trial at Epsom in April, Epictetus was disappointing in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot but the combination of a drop back in trip on ground he likes proved the catalyst to a return to form.

The winner followed front-running Nostrum and, once the gap came entering the final furlong, his finishing kick proved too much for the leader. There was a length between the duo at the line, with Galeron (14/1) a length and a half further back in third.

Hamish bagged his ninth career success for William Haggas in the 12-furlong G3 l’Ormarins King’s Plate Glorious Stakes.

Sent off a 5/6 favourite to follow up his G3 Silver Cup Stakes win at York, Hamish was ridden patiently by Tom Marquand, who appeared confident that he had the field covered entering the final two furlongs.

Once switched to the inside, Hamish powered home to score by an emphatic four lengths. The Paul & Oliver Cole-trained Jack Darcy outran his 18/1 to take second, with the winner’s stablemate Candleford (15/2) a length and a quarter further back in third.

Serried Ranks (8/1) carried Their Majesties The King & Queen’s silks to a second success at the 2023 Qatar Goodwood Festival as he led home a one-two for trainer Ralph Beckett in the Ire-Incentive It Pays To Buy Irish Nursery.

Confidently ridden by Rossa Ryan, Serried Ranks made his challenge down the middle of the track and outstayed stable-mate Starlust (3/1F) to score by a length and a half. Dapper Valley (16/1) was a neck further back in third.

Their Majesties The King & Queen were on the scoresheet yesterday with Desert Hero in the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes.

Progressive three-year-old Balance Play (7/2JF) posted a comfortable victory in the concluding 11-furlong Coral Handicap, completing a double on the card for trainer Ralph Beckett.

A winner at Chester on his previous start, the son of Lope De Vega picked up nicely under Hector Crouch approaching the final furlong and went clear to score by a length and three-quarters. True Legend (10/1) emerged from the pack to finish second, half a length ahead of third-placed Dancing In Paris (13/2).

With three wins on the board alongside John Quinn, Beckett now sits top of the 2023 Qatar Goodwood Festival trainer standings by virtue of more seconds.

Meanwhile, looking ahead to Saturday, bookmakers Coral – who are now the sponsor of the Stewards’ Cup, one of the week’s most popular contests, with 28 runners due to line up – have put up a £100 prize to go to a charity of the choice of the winner of a tipping contest.

This will be between Chichester Observer sports editor Steve Bone, Coral’s Dave Stevens, Goodwood MD Adam Waterworth, Goodwood director of racing Ed Arkell and the Racing Post’s Mark Storey. Watch out for the panel’s selections on this website on Saturday morning.