Day three of the Ebor Festival was all about speed and stamina with three high quality events on the card and something for everyone. The headline race was the Coolmore sponsored Nunthorpe Stakes over five furlongs. It has been the scene of many memorable sprinting performances from the likes of Dayjur, Battaash and local heroes Borderlescott and Mecca's Angel. This year's renewal lacked the potential superstar but it was still a race worthy of its Group One billing with the likes of Khaadem, Emaraaty Ana, former winner Winter Power, the improving Royal Aclaim and the fascinating juvenile runner The Platinum Queen who had shown so far this year she was born sprinting. 
The race lived up to its fairytale story making as the locally trained Highfield Princess continued her magnificent progress for trainer John Quinn. In mid-2020, her name was quickly forgotten when she was running in class six events and won her first race from a mark of 54. The mare began to improve leaps and bounds throughout 2020 and 2021, rising through the handicap ranks and winning a high class handicap at Royal Ascot. No one would be so certain of her ascension this year as she would win a Group Two at York in May and then breaking into the highest echelon by winning the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville just two weeks before today.
Right from the word go, The Platinum Queen blazed the York turf in the early stages, even taking many of her older rivals out of their comfort zones. With two furlongs to go, The Platinum Queen jinked to her left and that brief loss of momentum opened the door for the cruising Highfield Princess to grab the opportunity. She nosed past her fellow female and began to pull away as her stamina proved to be the forte. A memorable day for Yorkshire and for everyone at the Malton stable. 
Elsewhere on the card, the stayers' division was craving a rematch between old rivals Stradivarius and Trueshan on the Knavesmire but it failed to transpire. On the morning of the race, Stradivarius was found to have a bruised foot which opened the door for Trueshan to win the relatively weak Group Two, but with just twenty minutes before the off time, quick ground proved to be his Achilles heel once again and trainer Alan King withdrew his multiple Group race winner. This left the race open to just six runners, but still a tightly bunched pack. Last year's Ebor runner-up Quickthorn arrived in the form of his life and Coltrane had won at Royal Ascot this year. The race was a somewhat strange running as Quickthorn quickly established a 5 length lead under Tom Marquand. The gap increased further and further until the leader was twelve lengths clear turning for the home straight. As his rivals panicked and paddled in deep water, Quickthorn galloped on relentlessly to record a fourteen length victory.
The Group Two Gimcrack Stakes for two-year-olds has been a key race in the juvenile calendar and it proved no different this year with the likes of Noble Style, Royal Scotsman, Chateau and the unknown quantities Marshman and Clearpoint making it a very intriguing race. The new kid on the block Marshman did his best to make all, but Noble Style, a son of the brilliant miler Kingman, had too much class and began to extend at the finish, leaving onlookers purring about the future. Team Godolphin would go on to have yet more juvenile success in the richest maiden of the year, the EBF Convivial Maiden as Desert Order used his experience to finish well on top for the potent team of Charlie Appleby and William Buick.
The opening race saw quite a surprising outcome as Farhan defied the claim of him being a soft ground horse by winning on quick ground in good style. Not too far off the leaders, he apprecitated the decent gallop and went clear in the final furlong, holding off all challengers close home to win by a neck for the evergreen jockey Neil Callan. Rounding off the card were victorious for the rapidly progressive filly State Occasion as she won at her second consecutive festival, following on from Goodwood last month and winning rider Rossa Ryan provided a topic of conversation by announcing his split from employers Amo Racing, for whom he rode his first Group One winner for.  In the closing race, there was a Middleham one-two as trainer Ed Bethell defeated Ann Duffield in the three year old mile handicap. It was a dramatic finish as Point Lynas collared the long time leader Master Richard and held on by a short head then survived a lengthy stewards' enquiry which caused a brief spell of concern for connections. 

Winners:
Farhan (12) - J. Butler - N.Callan - Zoffany x Market Forces
Quickthorn (3) - H. Morrison - T. Marquand - Nathaniel x Daffydowndilly
Noble Style (11) - C. Appleby - W. Buick - Kingman x Eartha Kitt
Highfield Princess (11) - J. Quinn - J. Hart - Night of Thunder x Pure Illusion
State Occasion (2) - R. Beckett - R. Ryan - Iffraaj x Forest Crown
Desert Order (4) - C. Appleby - W. Buick - Dubawi x Duchess of Berry
Point Lynas (14) - E. Bethell - R. Dawson - Iffraaj x Initially