All the doubters were made to eat their words as Zarkava put up a performance of sheer brilliance to win the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.
Alain de Royer-Dupre's filly had been a short ante-post favourite for Europe's richest race ever since her stablemate Montmartre was ruled out through injury, and her supporters never had an anxious moment - once she had left the stalls that is.
The talk after her prep race in the Prix Vermeille centred around the fact that she had been left in the stalls to the tune of five lengths and many of the scribes were suggesting she would not be able to do that in a race like the Arc.
And while there was a slight mishap on leaving the gate when she lurched to her right giving Christophe Soumillon quite a task in staying in the saddle, where the race mattered most she once again showed her blistering turn of foot.
Mick Channon's Youmzain gave chase in vain but was two lengths down at the line and filled the runner-up spot for the second successive year.
Soldier Of Fortune fared best of Aidan O'Brien's big two by dead-heating for third with 150-1 outsider It's Gino.
"It's great to train a filly like that. She's the best I've had," said Royer-Dupre.
"I was confident during all of the race except the start where she didn't go straight, but after that it was OK."
"Every day you are anxious in case she has a problem or if something goes wrong."
"The filly can be a little bit nervous sometimes, but I have a very good assistant who looks after her well."
"The win is very important to me as it is a race I have not always been lucky in."
In the other Group One action Jim Bolger's Lush Lashes just failed to add to her big-race tally as German raider Lady Marian swooped late for Werner Baltromei and Dominique Boeuf in the Prix de l'Opera.
Baltromei said: "She was a very late filly and took a long time to get stronger."
"We were always looking at this race and then the Breeders' Cup, but obviously we'll have to see how she is after the race."
The two juvenile races were dominated by the Head family as first Criquette Head-Maarek won the Prix Marcel Boussac with Proportional and brother Freddie followed up with Naaqoos in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
Head-Maarek said of Proportional: "I asked the Prince (Khalid Abdullah) if he would let me run her here and I think we did the right thing."
"She'll be entered in the 1000 Guineas and she will tell me what to do. She's the boss."
Naaqoos dented Mastercraftsman's huge reputation in the race more commonly known as the Grand Criterium.
O'Brien's former Guineas favourite could finish only fourth behind the impressive winner.
Head said: "I think he's a great horse, a real champion because he's a hell of a mover and he's very good in his head, very well balanced. He's got everything to be a good horse."
"He's an extraordinary mover and a very good intelligent horse, very clever."
Unfortunately the day got off to a farcical start with the first running of the Prix de l'Abbaye declared void after Fleeting Spirit's stall failed to open.
Thankfully, Head's Marchand D'Or brought some respectability to the race by confirming his position as the best sprinter around