Highfield Princess pulverises Goodwood rivals

Highfield Princess belatedly opened her account for the campaign with a runaway victory in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood.

John Quinn's superstar mare won three times at Group One level last term, landing the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, the Nunthorpe at York and the Flying Five at the Curragh.

She had to make do with minor honours in her first three outings of this season, but having placed in both the King’s Stand and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June she was the 4-9 favourite to get back on the winning trail.

Those who took the cramped odds about the six-year-old will have had few concerns for the duration of the five-furlong contest, with Highfield Princess initially taking a lead Czech raider Ponntos before bursting to the lead.

White Lavender came from out of the pack and just briefly threatened to make a race of it, but Highfield Princess found another gear in the last half-furlong under her regular partner Jason Hart and had three lengths in hand at the line.

Highfield Princess stamps her class in the feature Group 2 King George @Q_REC Qatar Stakes with the talented mare powering clear for a dominant success in the hands of @jasonhart13 for the @johnquinnracing team. pic.twitter.com/NP3ImkrPuR

Hart said: "She was her usual self, jumped well, travelled great and was much the best.

"The Czech horse 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.

"It’s nice to get a win next to her name. She ran her heart out in those two races at Royal Ascot for her to bounce back and get her head back in front and win by a bit of