Highfield Princess faces challenge from younger rivals in Nunthorpe

A 6-year-old mare, a 3-year-old colt, and a 2-year-old head the early betting for the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes on Friday at York Racecourse in England.

Highfield Princess, the mare, can become the fourth horse since 2009 to win consecutive renewals of the Nunthorpe, a straight-course five-furlong sprint. Battaash in 2019-20 was the most recent horse to pull off the double.

Highfield Princess won the 2022 renewal by 2 1/2 lengths over The Platinum Queen, a 2-year-old. Juveniles regularly contest the Nunthorpe, and this year’s young hope, Big Evs, gets 21 pounds from Highfield Princess and 22 from 3-year-old Bradsell, his other main rival.

The Nunthorpe is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series offering the winner automatic fees-paid entry into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and travel expenses to Santa Anita. Highfield Princess finished a respectable fourth of 14 in the 2022 BC Turf Sprint at Keeneland, where The Platinum Queen ran poorly in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Highfield Princess might not be quite as good as she was a year ago. Second and third in her first three starts of the season, all important sprints, she broke through Aug. 4 over good-to-soft going at Goodwood winning the Group 2 King George a five-furlong sprint, by three lengths. Highfield Princess can handle six furlongs but five might be her sweet spot; the mare has gone 3-2-0 from five starts at the distance.

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Bradsell beat Highfield Princess by one length in the five-furlong King’s Stand at Royal Ascot, his number left up after a stewards’ inquiry regarding possible interference with the runner-up. Bradsell hasn’t started since that June 20 contest, but it’s hard to see why he wouldn’t race competitively. The King’s Stand marked Bradsell’s first start at a distance shorter than six furlongs and the colt had plenty of pace for the shorter trip.

Big Evs, from the first crop of crack sprinter Blue Point, was second in his debut before beating 22 rivals in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot and annexing the Group 3 Molecomb at Goodwood earlier this month. Big Evs eked out the Molecomb win on soft ground and likely prefers firmer footing, which he should get Friday. Kingsgate Native in 2007 was the last 2-year-old to win the Nunthorpe.

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