Flat season re-cap | Timeform's top sprinters of 2022

Minzaal (127) 4yo c Mehmas – Pardoven

Minzaal looked a very good sprinter in the making when winning the Gimcrack as a two-year-old and finally got the proper chance to prove it in 2022 after being restricted to just two starts as a three-year-old. He returned with a respectable third behind Highfield Princess in the Duke of York Stakes before finishing in mid-division in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot when wearing headgear but that was soon dispensed with when he returned to winning ways with a drop in class and an improved effort in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury in July. He confirmed that form when getting closer to Highfield Princess in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, beaten three quarters of a length after being unable to reel her in from back in the field. Minzaal then took his chance in what beforehand looked an open Sprint Cup at Haydock but blew the race apart, travelling smoothly before forging clear in the final furlong to beat the 2021 winner Emaraaty Ana by three and three quarter lengths. However, Minzaal sustained a fracture to his knee in recording that high-class effort on firm ground and has been retired to stud. Owen Burrows.

Highfield Princess (126) 5yo m Night of Thunder – Pure Illusion

Highfield Princess started out winning ordinary handicaps as a three-year-old but blossomed into a high-class sprinter at the age of five. Campaigned on the all-weather early in the year, she gained her first win of 2022 in the fillies’ and mares’ event on All-Weather Finals Day at Newcastle in April. The first indication that she’d be a force in the big sprints on turf came the following month in the Duke of York Stakes when having Minzaal back in third. But after finishing a close-up sixth behind Naval Crown in a huge field for the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, Highfield Princess ran up a hat-trick of Group 1 sprints, starting off by making all in the Prix Maurice de Gheest where Minzaal chased her home. That was over six and a half furlongs, but back dropping to the minimum trip, she put up high-class efforts to beat two-year-old The Platinum Queen (later winner of the Abbaye) in the Nunthorpe Stakes and then forged over three lengths clear under much more testing conditions to beat a big field in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh when impressive again. Fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on her final start last year, she stays in training. John Quinn

Alcohol Free (123) 4yo f No Nay Never – Plying

Alcohol Free began her career as a smart sprinting two-year-old, winning the Cheveley Park Stakes, though had her attentions turned to longer trips in 2021 when her wins included the Coronation Stakes and Sussex Stakes and she was even tried over a mile and a quarter in the Juddmonte International. The Sussex Stakes was on her agenda again last year, and there was no disgrace in her third place behind Baaeed on what proved to be her final start of the year, while she also made the frame in the Mile at Sandown and when fourth, to Baaeed again, in the Lockinge. But she also went back sprinting on a couple of starts in the summer, and while she seemed to find things happening too quickly in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, she ran much her best race of the season when winning the July Cup. Less keen than she tended to be at a mile, she stayed on in the last half-furlong to get the better of the Platinum Jubilee winner Naval Crown, with Artorius and Creative Force, who’d been placed at Royal Ascot, completing the frame. Alcohol Free was sold for 5.4m guineas in December to continue her racing career in Australia. Andrew Balding

Kinross (123) 5yo g Kingman – Ceilidh House

Like Alcohol Free, Kinross proved only a ‘part-time’ sprinter in 2022 but enjoyed a fine campaign which demonstrated both his versatility and durability and he took his chance to land a big sprint in a less-than-vintage season in that division, at least among those trained in Europe. He was another to contest the Platinum Jubilee, and wasn’t beaten that far in eighth at odds of 40/1, but after finishing second in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood which he’d won the year before, he ran up a hat-trick kept to seven furlongs in the valuable City of York Stakes, the Park Stakes at Doncaster and the Prix de la Foret where he didn’t need to improve to land his first Group 1. Back at six furlongs, Kinross soon added another in the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot having finished in mid-division in the same race a year earlier on his first start at six furlongs. Kinross was well on top at the finish, beating rank outsider Run To Freedom and the previous year’s winner Creative Force by two and a quarter lengths and a neck, they too well drawn. A close third back up in trip in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on his final start after conceding first run to winner Modern Games, Kinross can win more good races in 2023. Ralph Beckett

Manaccan (122) 3yo c Exceed And Excel – Shyrl

A five-furlong specialist who didn’t race above Group 3 level in 2022, three-year-old Manaccan might not have had a high profile in the sprint division but his end-of-year rating suggests he could make more of a name for himself this year. He showed useful form at two and began the season with some good efforts in handicaps, with his first win of the year coming in the Dash on Shergar Cup day at Ascot. A close third over six furlongs in a listed race at Newmarket next time, it was when returning to the minimum trip in the autumn that he really began to thrive, winning three of his last four starts. Manaccan won another couple of listed races, the Scarbrough Stakes at the St Leger meeting and the Rous Stakes at Ascot, either side of a good effort in defeat when a close third to Mitbaahy in the World Trophy Stakes at Newbury after a slightly troubled passage. However, he saved his best run for his final start in the Group 3 Mercury Stakes at Dundalk when leading close home to beat Logo Hunter by half a length. There should be more to come from Manaccan in the top five-furlong contests this season. John Ryan

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