Goodwood Festival: Highfield Princess all class in King George Qatar Stakes victory for John Quinn

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.

Paddy Power make the winner their 2/1 favourite from 11/4 to successfully defend her Nunthorpe crown at York on August 25.

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 distance, it was nice to see.

"I am very grateful to be associated with her. For my career, I was never a Group One winner until her, and for her to come along last year and win three Group Ones, it took my career to a new level."

Epictetus and Dettori upset Nostrum

Epictetus inflicted a shock defeat on the much-vaunted Nostrum to land the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes.

Winner of his first two juvenile starts before finishing third in the Dewhurst, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Nostrum was considered a legitimate Classic contender at the start of the year before injury ruled him out of the first half of the season.

Having made a dominant comeback in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket last month, there was talk of a tilt at Group One glory in the Sussex Stakes, but connections instead elected to take another step forward in this Group Three contest.

For much of the one-mile journey the race appeared to be going according to script, with Ryan Moore adopting the same pacesetting tactics which worked so impressively at Newmarket three weeks ago aboard the 4-6 market leader - but it was a clear with a furlong to run he had a race on his hands.

Having sat in Nostrum's slipstream throughout, the John and Thady Gosden-trained Epictetus produced the better finishing kick of the pair and passed the post with a length in hand under Frankie Dettori.

Haggas' old favourite Hamish strikes again

The redoubtable Hamish bagged his sixth win at Group Three level in the l'Ormarins King's Plate Glorious Stakes.

The lightly-raced seven-year-old had won eight of his 16 previous starts in all, most recently pipping Scriptwriter to success in the John Smith's Silver Cup at York three weeks ago.

Trainer William Haggas declared Hamish for a stellar renewal of the King George at Ascot last weekend, but fast ground scuppered his participation and he instead arrived at Goodwood as a 5/6 favourite in the hands of Tom Marquand.

Ridden patiently in midfield for much of the mile-and-a-half-contest, the son of Motivator - who is owned by the trainer's father, Brian - burst into it late before powering to a four-length verdict over Jack Darcy, with the winner's stablemate, Candleford, best of the rest in third.

No messing with Johan in Coral Golden Mile

Jack Channon produced a noteworthy training performance as Johan (25/1) returned from 293 days off the track to win the Coral Golden Mile.

James Doyle managed to get last year's Lincoln winner into a prominent position from his wide draw [18] and, in a race where not much got involved from off the pace, he was perfectly positioned to kick and hold on gamely by half a length.

Charlie Johnston was responsible for runner-up The Gatekeeper (14/1) and third home Dutch Decoy (11/1), with early leader Darkness (50/1) holding on for fourth.