Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes report | Nunthorpe High for Quinn & Hart

It was a second consecutive Group One win for the daughter of Night Of Thunder following her Prix Maurice de Gheest victory over six and a half furlongs at Deauville just 12 days ago.

Only the second run over five furlongs in her 29-race career, the remarkable mare showed her versatility by winning over the minimum distance on quick ground from the two-year-old The Platinum Queen who also ran a super race in second for Richard Fahey.

Hollie Doyle let The Platinum Queen use her early speed by bowling along in front, but Highfield Princess relaxed beautifully just in behind and she picked up the leader without fuss inside the final furlong.

Emaraaty Ana ran on for third with Khaadem fourth and Dragon Symbol, who was outpaced in the early stages, running on for fifth.

The victory means she is the first horse since Handsome Sailor in 1988 to follow up victory in York’s 1895 Duke of York Stakes with the Nunthorpe and she was cut to 7/2 from 8/1 for Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup by the race sponsor to keep her Group One-winning run going next month.

However, Quinn is favouring one more run in France before heading to America for the Breeders’ Cup meeting in the autumn.

He said: “She didn’t run at two and it took her quite a while to learn her trade. She won three races as a three-year-old and then last year she won at Royal Ascot and she was placed in several Group races. This year she won the All-Weather Final at Newcastle and then we said we’d run in the Duke of York and she romped up.

“She ran very well at Royal Ascot and then she won well in France 12 days ago. She’s come back and won really well here.

“We put her in the Foret and the Abbaye, so all being well two more runs – Foret or Abbaye, and the Breeders’ Cup.

“I’m delighted to have her.”

Hart admitted that while the duo’s Deauville victory meant a lot, a Group One win on Yorkshire turf was even more special.

He said: “She gave me my first Group One winner a couple of weeks ago and it probably means more today to do it on home soil. She deserved it.

“I was really confident, the two-year-old was giving us a nice tow and I thought I’d be able to pick her up whenever I wanted really. I thought if I could just hold her together for the middle part of the race she’d finish her race off.

“She’s definitely getting quicker.”

The Platinum Queen does Middleham Park team proud

The Platinum Queen could head to Paris for the Prix de l’Abbaye following her gallant runner-up effort in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

The Richard Fahey-trained Cotai Glory filly was beaten two and a half lengths by Highfield Princess, with the juvenile having been supplemented for the race at a cost of £40,000 by owners Middleham Park Racing, who more than got their money back.

The Platinum Queen, in receipt of upwards of 8lb from her 12 opponents, was having just a fifth start, in a bid to become the first two-year-old to win the race since Kingsgate Native in 2007 and the first filly of her generation after Lyric Fantasy 30 years ago.

Ridden by Hollie Doyle, she took charge and looked primed to score approaching the final furlong, only to hang her head to the right and show some greenness in the closing stages, as the John Quinn-trained winner swept past under Jason Hart.

Syndicate manager Tim Palin said he was “thrilled” for the owners, who may well book their flights to Longchamp for the five-furlong Group One contest on Arc day, October 2.

“It’s a relief – we don’t look stupid for supplementing and for four-fifths of the race we probably looked quite clever!” exclaimed Palin.

“In the end it was a great run and we’ve been beaten by a high-class animal. Fair play to the John Quinn team, we’re thrilled for them, but equally we’re thrilled for our members that we’ve come so far in such a short space of time.

“The weight-for-age might be a little bit generous and whether we can come back and replicate that in the future only time will tell, but I think she’s going to give us plenty of fun.

“She’s got the Abbaye entry and you wouldn’t know whether the ground in Paris will suit her or not. You would have thought that would be the logical place to go.

“You could go for the Flying Childers at Doncaster on the way, but this is the stuff that dreams are made of – having to sit down Aidan O’Brien-style and decide where to go.”

Second last year, the Kevin Ryan-trained Emaraaty Ana stayed on to finish third on this occasion, a length and a half behind the runner-up under Kevin Stott.

Adam Ryan, assistant to his father, said the six-year-old would now go back up in trip and head to Haydock in a bid to defend his Sprint Cup title on September 3.

“We’re thrilled with him. It’s great to see him run like that,” said Ryan.

“He’s taken his time to recover from running in Dubai earlier in the year, but he was more himself in the July Cup and has come here a fresh horse and has run his race.

“Hopefully now he can go on to Haydock now and defend his crown in the Sprint Cup. That (six furlongs) is his ideal trip and it’s all systems go for Haydock.”

Charlie Hills was also satisfied with the run from hat-trick-seeking Khaadem, who raced on the far rail and finished fourth under Ryan Moore.

“The ground was a little bit loose over that side where he was, but he’s run a really good race,” said Hills.

“A good filly has won and he had a Group One winner just in front of him. We’ll look at the Flying Five at the Curragh next.”

Three-year-old Royal Aclaim saw her unbeaten run ended on only her fourth start.

Though sent off the 5/2 favourite under Andrea Atzeni, trainer James Tate felt she had excuses on her first start in top-class company, finishing sixth from stall two.

Tate said: “It was probably not the best part of the track to be on, but we’re still a little bit disappointed.

“Andrea just said she was on the wrong side of the track and she’ll keep progressing with racing.

“It’s only the fourth run of her career and I’m sure we’ll keep moving forward. She’ll get there.”

Timeform View: David Cleary

The Nunthorpe Stakes brought together the pick of the domestic five-furlong performers, but they were comprehensively beaten by Highfield Princess, the form pick coming into the race, but whose best efforts had come at six furlongs plus. She clearly came into the race at the top of her game, having already gained a Group 1 victory at Deauville this month, and she improved even further on that form as she outclassed her rivals.

The key to the race was the pace set by the two-year-old The Platinum Queen, blazing a trail from stall 13, up the centre and slightly away from those drawn in single figures. Highfield Princess (14) tracked her, with Emaraaty Ana (11) in behind. With The Platinum Queen a clear second and Emaraaty Ana, placed in the race again, coming through for third, there is clearly a chance that the first three had an advantage over those racing towards the inside.

The favourite Royal Aclaim was right on the inside, away from the main action, and wasn't able to confirm the abundant promise she'd shown at a lower level. This was just the fourth run of her career and she may well step up on this another time.

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.