1000 Guineas: Stamina doubts proved wide of the mark as French-trained filly Natagora showed her rivals two clean pairs of hooves in the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Pascal Bary's charge, sent off the 11-4 favourite, had never been tried over the mile but conclusively showed she possesses guts as well as speed with a thrilling tour de force at Headquarters.
Making every yard of the running, the galloping grey stuck her neck out gamely when strongly pressed inside the final furlong to see off Spacious by half a length.
Saoirse Abu finished a further half-length away in third after storming home with a late rattle of her own.
Nahoodh also found her stride coming out of the Dip and came home with a wet sail but she had nowhere to go in behind Natagora at a vital point.
While she found her route blocked, Natagora powered on up front, proving ultra-game in finding more when it was required inside the final 200 yards.
Winning rider Christophe Lemaire told Channel 4 Racing: "I can't believe it.
"I had so much confidence, the only thing for me was to try to get a good position without using too much energy.
"She gave all she had and is a fantastic filly."
Bary had suffered torment in this race in 2003 when Six Perfections found any amount of trouble in running, covering most of the Rowley Mile before flashing home just too late to collar Russian Rhythm.
Clearly elated, the Frenchman said: "She has done something fantastic. They all came to her, but she ran to the end.
"She is a fantastic filly. I have dreamed about this since last October. She is very brave and she moves very well, even when she is in front she doesn't pull or anything like that."
James Fanshawe said of Spacious: "She ran very well, Jamie (Spencer) just thought she could have done with a stronger pace.
"We are not thinking of the Oaks, we'll stick to a mile at the moment."
Jim Bolger was happy with his two runners as Lush Lashes also finished with a flourish to take sixth.
The County Carlow trainer said: "I am very happy and both Kevin (Manning on Saoirse Abu) and Kerrin (McEvoy on Lush Lashes) said they wanted a bit further."
John Gosden's Infallible had every chance in fourth and her trainer said: "The winner set the standard on form and it is just a pity, like in the 2000 Guineas, that they have gone to the stands rail.
"She gets the mile and will be going for the Coronation Stakes."