Elmalka flew home to break French hearts and give Roger Varian a first win in the Qipco 1000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket.
A fast-finishing third in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury on just her second start, the daughter of Kingman was again doing her strongest work late stepping up to a mile in the hands of former champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa.
It was French raider Ramatuelle who looked to have sealed the deal for Christopher Head as Aurelien Lemaitre made his move for home entering the dip, but the 9-2 second favourite was helpless as the closers descended on her in the final 50 yards, Elmalka finishing strongest of all to strike at odds of 28-1, with Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna coming through for second.
As well as a first Classic on his home patch for Varian, it was a first British Classic for Brazilian De Sousa as he marked his comeback season to UK racing in style.
Varian said: "It's not a surprise because I wouldn't have run her if I didn't think she'd run well, but you don't come into these races thinking you're going to win.
"She ran a big race at Newbury and she was green as grass. Credit to James Doyle as he gave her a super ride that day, he got an education into her and she finished strong. I felt in another 100 yards she might have been a length and a half winner as she was just taking off.
"We weren't set on running in the Guineas that day, but the turnaround in the filly in the last fortnight has been quite incredible.
"She looked fantastic and she'd worked well. I was in two minds whether to run her as I wanted to do the right thing by the filly, but that's why we're here right, to have a go.
He went on: "I was thinking at halfway we weren't really handling the track, but the further we went I thought she was coming into it, in the dip I thought we'd get a place and in the final 100 yards I did think we'd get there.
"It's very special to train a Guineas winner for Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, who has supported me all my career and supported Michael Jarvis before me. She's a homebred filly out of Nahrain, who was my first Group One winner in the first year I trained, winning the Prix de l'Opera."
Welcome to the official YouTube channel of Racing TV, the UK's leading horse racing channel showing live racing from the best racecourses in Great Britain and Ireland.
Subscribe to Racing TV's free YouTube channel and get closer to the sport we all love. If you want to watch unmissable moments from the world of racing and exclusive interviews and highlights from our specialist shows then this is the place for you! https://bit.ly/2RHbyMa
You can also find us on Sky 424 or Virgin Media 536 (411 in Ireland): https://t.co/xkJ0xBrDcm
Also watch Racing TV at racingtv.com and via our iPhone, iPad and Android apps: https://t.co/CwcklwUMHs
