REIGNING Horse of the Year, Princess Popstar, who is now in the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago in continuation of her racing career, is said to be happy and doing well since her arrival some two weeks ago.

Leaving Jamaica with an undefeated record of six wins from as many starts, Princess Popstar spent as per requirement six days in the quarantine facility in Trinidad. She is now out of quarantine and has since been on the racetrack for three mornings.

The new trainer of Princess Popstar is John O’Brien, a many-time champion in Trinidad who was also the trainer of the talented Bruceontheloose who became one of the best horses to race in the southern Caribbean nation after his racing career ended in Jamaica.

“Princess Popstar arrived in Trinidad in fine fettle. She spent the obligatory time in our quarantine facilities after which for the last three or four days she has been on the track getting acclimatised to a new racing surface, the new people around her, new stables and generally the new surroundings she has to deal with.

“This process of getting to know her new surroundings is very important as we want her to be happy and simply to be just herself so that Princess Popstar can race at her best,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien told the Complete Racing Guide that he has already arranged for the three-year-old bay filly by Adore The Gold – Doc’s Paladin to race for the first time on September 1.

“Responding to your question, I am seriously looking at September 1 for Princess Popstar to make her debut here (Trinidad). The race I am looking at is over nine furlongs which is a good warm-up event as we prepare her for the main objective right now of competing in the Trinidad Derby set for September 20 over 10 furlongs,” O’Brien told the Complete Racing Guide.

If Princess Popstar runs in the nine-furlong event, it will be the longest distance she will have run thus far in her outstanding career. The longest trip she undertook while racing in Jamaica was eight furlongs (one mile) while competing in the Supreme Ventures-sponsored Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes on Boxing Day last.