John Quinn’s popular mare attracted plenty of market support throughout the day and was subsequently sent off as the 2/1 market leader to land the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines.
Victory would have looked unlikely at the halfway stage with plenty more rivals in front than behind. As so often is the case on the ParisLongchamp five-furlong course, low-drawn horses seemingly had an advantage heading into the final few furlongs with the George Boughey-trained French regular Perdika looking to have plenty of her opponents in trouble after showing a nice turn of foot.
However, she began to tire deep inside the final furlong and all the while Highfield Princess continued to find her stride. Jason Hart urged his mount for more with fifty yards to travel and she responded generously picking up smartly to score.
Perdika kept on bravely under pressure to hang on to the runner-up position with Aesop's Fables [66/1] narrowly getting the better of Get Ahead and the unlucky Rogue Lightening for third.
Winning trainer John Quinn said of his now four-time Group 1 winner: "We didn't come last year [here] because we thought it was going to be a bridge too far. But this year she was in such good form in the spring we were always intent on trying to come here."
"I thought at halfway she was in trouble, but she dug deep and then dug deeper again."
Stall fourteen would certainly have been worrying for connections heading into the Group 1 five-furlong prize with Jason Hart commenting he was almost positive those towards the stands' side would have an advantage.
He said: "It was a concern, especially when I walked the track."
"When I walked the track, I thought there was going to be a massive bias towards the stands' side."
"It was only for her guts, tenacity, and constitution. She was absolutely flat out for most of the race, and I tend to find when you get stuck on the wing a bit that it can make them more flat out than you actually are."
"She tries so bloody hard, and she kept powering all the way to the line."
A trip further abroad could be on the cards for Highfield Princess with potential trips to Hong Kong or Santa Anita by no means ruled out.
Quinn added: "We needed to see how today went, and today went very well."
"I wouldn't rule out the Breeders' Cup or the big sprint in Hong Kong [Sha Tin]."
On the prospects of her continuing to race next season, he said: "It's the owner-breeder family decision as to whether she'll race next year."
