Owner-breeder John Fairley said he and his family are "all heartbroken" after his multiple Group 1-winner Highfield Princess died March 23 after sustaining an injury in an accident in her stall last week.
Trained by John Quinn, Highfield Princess progressed from winning a handicap off a rating of 57 to winning four times at the top level in Britain, Ireland, and France as well as lining up in major sprints in the United States and Hong Kong.
Highfield Princess had been due to return to racing this season with Fairley saying he and his family loved the "sheer thrill" of watching her compete. However, last week she was retired after sustaining a hind-leg injury having been cast in her stall.
In a statement released March 24, Fairley said: "It has been the privilege of our lives to have known Highfield Princess. We are all heartbroken.
"She was the horse you dream of breeding and owning. She took our family on an extraordinary adventure around the world and created so many precious memories. She loved to race and her intelligence, toughness and will to win were incredible. She was truly a special horse, a member of our family.
"There were so many people involved in her incredible journey. From the stud where she was born, to the people who helped her take her first steps under saddle and the farm where she spent her holidays. We know the team at John and Sean Quinn Racing, who have looked after the 'Princess' with dedication and love, will also be devastated. We would like to thank them all for their tender care over the years. She was so happy in that yard."
Highfield Princess initially made positive progress under veterinary supervision, but was unable to make a recovery from "an inoperable fracture".
In a joint statement from John Quinn, his son Sean, and Fairley, they said: "Although over the past week she fought with the same extraordinary spirit she showed on the racecourse, last night she lost her battle for life.
Bred by former television presenter and producer Fairley, who is the Quinn's landlord at Highfield Stables in Malton, Highfield Princess was unsold for 29,000gns (US$38,352) as a yearling and entered training the following year.
Highfield Princess did not debut until the summer of her three-year-old season, winning for the first time on her fifth start in a seven-furlong handicap at Ayr. From there, she rapidly progressed winning the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Listed Queen Charlotte Fillies' Stakes in 2021.
In 2022, Highfield Princess made the leap to group 1 level winning the Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1) in France, the Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) in Britain, and the Flying Five Stakes (G1) in Ireland in less than a month. She also landed the 1895 Duke Of York Stakes (G2), the Fillies' And Mares' Championships Final at Newcastle, and finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).
Last year she returned to win another Group 1, the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (G1), and the King George Stakes (G2) at Glorious Goodwood, as well as finishing placed in both the King's Stand Stakes (G1) and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot.
In total, Highfield Princess raced 39 times across four seasons winning 14 times and placing on 14 occasions. She reached a peak rating of 120 and won £1,852,945 (US$1,471,175) in prize money.
