Top sprinter Highfield Princess will not return to training and has been retired after sustaining a significant injury.

The seven-year-old has been the apple of trainer John Quinn’s eye for the past few seasons, enjoying an astonishing rise from the handicap ranks to a string of Group successes.

The bay has 14 victories on her CV, including the Prix de l’Abbaye, Flying Five, Nunthorpe and Prix Maurice de Gheest – all Group One events.

She was also second in the Nunthorpe and the King’s Stand by just a length apiece last season and amassed over £1.8million in prize money throughout her career.

Connections had intended to keep her in training for another season but she suffered a serious injury in her stable on Tuesday and has therefore been retired.

A statement from John and Sean Quinn read: “It is with sadness that we announce that our star mare Highfield Princess has been retired from racing with immediate effect.

“On Tuesday morning she suffered an injury in her stable that was at the time very serious and concerning. That morning she was transferred to Rainbow Equine Hospital and has been in their care ever since.

“Her progress over the past few days has been encouraging and whilst she still has a way to go to make a full recovery, we are hopeful that with time and care she will be OK.

“What she has done for our yard over the past four seasons has been nothing short of remarkable. From humble beginnings she climbed to the very top of the sprinting ladder to be crowned European Champion Sprinter in 2022.

“She was the gift that kept on giving. As a racehorse she was always there for us when we needed it and now it is our turn to be there for her.”

John Fairley, owner and breeder of Highfield Princess, added: “What a fantastic mare she has been. An Australian owner commented last year that she was probably the fastest mare in the world.

“To have bred and raced a mare to win three Group One races in five weeks in 2022 was fantastic. We hope that she will make a full recovery and be fit to take up broodmare duties next year.”

Connections of Highfield Princess are keen to “let the dust settle” on her creditable effort in Hong Kong last weekend before making a decision on her future.

A triple Group One winner in 2022 for John Quinn, the popular mare has fully justified the call to keep her in training as a six-year-old, with victories in the King George Stakes at Goodwood and the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp supplemented by several fine performances in defeat.

Highfield Princess was unable to land a telling blow on local superstar Lucky Sweynesse in Sunday’s Hong Kong Sprint, but was far from disgraced in being being beaten four lengths into sixth place and the trainer’s son Sean Quinn was proud of her performance.

“I thought she did her very best, it was tough from her wide draw and she just got a little bit lit up and nudged wide on the bend when the winner came up her inside,” he said.

“I’m not making any huge excuses, it might have cost her a place or two, but she performed very creditably on a very tough stage.

“She kept going and picked up £55,000 for finishing sixth, whereas if she’d finished seventh she’d have picked up nothing, so she paid for the trip and more.”

With Highfield Princess and her trainer having not yet returned to UK soil, a final call on whether she will be retired for broodmare duties, or race on in 2024, has yet to be made.

“She’s still in Hong Kong as we speak, so I think it’s just a case of getting her home, let the dust settle and keep her ticking over and see how she is,” Quinn jnr added.

“To win another Group One this year and probably one of the most valuable Group Twos in Europe when she won at Goodwood, not only has she picked up huge prize-money but she’s enhanced her CV.

“We can look back on this year very satisfied.”

John Quinn is confident ground conditions will not be a problem for his triple Group One-winning mare Highfield Princess when she bids to get back to winning ways in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood on Friday.

Expertly handled by the North Yorkshire-based Quinn, she has had a fairytale career, rising through the grades from a 57-rated handicapper to win three top-class sprints last summer. She was also narrowly beaten at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland.

A half-length runner-up on her York reappearance, she was then turned out twice in four days at Royal Ascot, narrowly beaten in the King’s Stand and placed again in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

She drops back a furlong now, with Quinn optimistic she can make the most of what appears a gilt-edged opportunity.

“We’re happy with her,” said the Malton-based trainer. “Who knows what the ground will be like on Friday, but the ground will be fine – she has won on soft ground before.

“She is in good form and we’re very hopeful. I’m not worried about the draw – it is other horses I worry about!

“You wouldn’t know where they’ll be racing come Friday, but straight line, she’ll be fine.”

Karl Burke saddles both Silky Wilkie, who was runner-up to the reopposing Nymphadora in York’s City Walls, and White Lavender, a short-neck runner-up in the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp in October.

Burke said: “It is a bit of a punt with Silky Wilkie. He has done nothing but surprise us and impress us all the way through his career, really.

“We never expected him to get to these heights, but he deserves his chance now in these black type races.

“It is certainly a big step up for him, but he won’t mind the ground, he’ll like the track and with the ground being so soft, it might not suit some of the others. The draw in stall seven is good.”

White Lavender returned to France to take a Group Three in May, but was a little too keen on her last run in the Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.

Burke added: “White Lavender is obviously a high-class sprinter and she’s proven herself in the Abbaye.

“She disappointed herself in Ireland, but she ended up making the running, which wasn’t the plan with her – she has to have a bit of cover and come late.

“Maybe I sent her to Ireland a bit too fresh and she took off with Chris Hayes, and she never finishes her races when she runs like that.

“You can put a line through that run. She seems in good form and she’ll love the ground.”

Charlie Hills has won this race five times in the last six seasons, four times with Battaash (2017-2020) and last season with Khaadem.

He saddles both the hat-trick-seeking Equality, who landed the Coral Charge at Sandown when last seen, and Equilateral, who was a decent fifth to Bradsell in the Group One King’s Stand at Royal Ascot on his last run.

Makarova was a length and a half behind Equality at Sandown and Ed Walker, whose string is in fine form, feels the four-year-old Acclamation filly has plenty to offer now that she is becoming accustomed to running over the minimum trip.

He said: “I’m actually super-excited about this race – she is bouncing. Since dropping back to five (furlongs) she has improved. She is really learning to be a five-furlong sprinter now.

“Last time she really jumped and travelled, where in her previous couple of runs over five, she had slightly been outpaced.

“Prior to Sandown, I would have been a bit worried that this race might have had a bit too much early speed for her, but I think she showed at Sandown she’s got bags of boot.

“She won’t mind the ground at all, but drawn in four isn’t great. That won’t help. It is not ideal.”

Highfield Princess is fully on course for the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot following her good return to action at York.

John Quinn’s stable star gave best to the match-fit Azure Blue in the 1895 Duke of York Stakes, but nevertheless ran a fine race to finish second, beaten only half a length.

It is a result that gives hope the six-year-old can replicate the blistering form she showed last season when she entered the winner’s enclosure on five occasions, picking up a hat-trick of Group One contests in the process.

The daughter of Night Of Thunder has shown her versatility over the years and although returning over six furlongs on the Knavesmire, she will drop back to the stiff five furlongs of the King’s Stand when appearing at the Royal meeting next month.

“She’s in grand nick and has come out of York fine,” said Quinn.

“She will go to the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot next, all being well.”

It is 20 years since Aussie speedball Choisir did the King’s Stand/Jubilee Stakes double, but although holding entries for both sprinting Group Ones at the showpiece fixture, Quinn is unsure if his flying mare will attempt to become just the second horse along with Blue Point to achieve that rare feat since.

“I don’t know,” he continued. “She’s in both races and we’ll jump the first hurdle and she will be in the other race if we so decided. Tuesday is the aim.”