By Brian Sheerin
John Quinn has showered star sprinter Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) with praise and described the G1 Flying Five-bound filly as the best he's trained.
Highfield Princess is chasing a third Group 1 win on the spin when she lines out in Sunday's Flying Five S. at the Curragh, one of the feature races of Longines Irish Champions Weekend and Quinn, a native of County Tipperary who has been based in England for the majority of his racing career, is in no doubt that the speedball is the best he's trained.
That's not to say that Highfield Princess was always talked about in such vaunted terms. She may be one of the fastest racehorses around, but Highfield Princess would never have made big money at the sales, given she is noticeably off in front. However, Quinn has always had a soft spot for the way the filly goes about her business.
He recalls, “She had a nice demeanor as a 2-year-old but was backward. She's a typical Night Of Thunder, she's not correct in front and is well off on one, but, funnily enough, she's a wonderful mover. She has great fluidity. You get some horses who are not correct and they move terribly because they can't move any other way. But this filly stretches.”
Quinn added, “This is the best horse we've ever had. We've been lucky to have top-class Flat horses and a few top-class jumpers as well.
“We've had Cheltenham and Aintree winners, won the Queen Mary with Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) and The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) won the Coventry S. and was champion 2-year-old in France, so we've been lucky to have had some very good horses, but she's the best. She's a phenomenal filly.”
And this phenomenal filly sets a daunting standard at the Curragh on Sunday. She was a brilliant winner of the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August and was even better in landing the G1 Nunthorpe S. in rare style at York. While Quinn doesn't do confidence, he expects a bold show from his stable star this weekend.
He said, “These Group 1s, they're hard races to win and the rain is coming and there's a few horses in there that will appreciate the ease in the ground. We just want to get her down to the start on Sunday and take it from there.”
Quinn will also be represented on Irish Champions Weekend by Safe Voyage (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), who runs in the “Sovereign Path” H. at Leopardstown on Saturday.
It was at Leopardstown where Safe Voyage recorded one of his career highlights when landing the G2 Boomerang Mile at this meeting in 2020 and Quinn has already been in the winner's enclosure in Ireland this season when Mr Wagyu (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) landed the Scurry H. at the Curragh in July.
In short, Quinn knows a thing or two about bagging big-race riches on home soil and, on returning home to Ireland with leading contenders this weekend, he added, “I love Ireland–I think about Ireland every day. I've been in England a long time but it's great to go back with nice horses. We only like to go back over when we think we have a big chance.”
Along with being well able to plunder big prizes on the track, Quinn has earned a reputation of being a good man to source a bargain off it, and recalls how neither The Wow Signal nor Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) would have won any beauty pageants.
Despite this, both horses flew the flag for the Quinn stable with great distinction and the trainer is hopeful of picking up a few stars of the future at the yearling sales.
He said, “We got five at Doncaster, which is great, and Sean [son and assistant trainer] was at the Somerville Sale where we underbid a few. The first racing yard I went to when I was younger was Edward O'Grady's and my grandfather was a good stock man so I've picked up plenty down the years. We like a horse with a lot of quality and a bit of scope. You will forgive plenty in a horse if you think you can train them.
“I like to have a look at a horse from the side and like something with a good bit of heart room and a good hind leg. I've never had a good horse with a bad head–I hear some fellas saying they like a horse with small ears but I couldn't subscribe to that.
“Like everything in this game, you live and learn but you want a horse with a nice step, good bone and a nice outlook with a kind eye.”
He added, “The Wow Signal was incorrect in front but he was a phenomenal horse. Liberty Beach was another. She was ordinary enough to look at and had a very ordinary pedigree but, the minute she came into the yard, I said to Sean, 'I like the look of that, she could be a racehorse.' Highfield Princess would never have made big money but she always looked like a racehorse and that's what you want.”
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