Sir Michael Stoute ended his Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hoodoo as Derby hero Workforce bounced back to his brilliant best in the Qatar-sponsored showpiece at Longchamp.
The King's Best colt travelled strongly throughout in the hands of champion jockey Ryan Moore but was still nearer last than first on the turn for home.
However, he showed an excellent turn of foot given the testing conditions to hit the front approaching the final furlong and dug deep in the closing stages to repel the sustained challenge of Nakayama Festa. Sarafina was third.
Workforce had been a spectacular winner at Epsom, where he broke the course record, but his Arc participation remained undecided until as late as Thursday following his dismal performance in the King George at Ascot on his previous start.
Stoute, who had come closest in the Arc when second with Pilsudski in 1996 and 1997, said: "He was a big disappointment in the King George. It's been a real team effort (to get him back) and I'm not just saying that as a cliche. The jockey gave him some ride.
"If you have any ambition when you start training, you want to win the Arc. We have had a lot of horses running particularly well in it without doing it, so I'm thrilled, especially as he was so impressive on Derby day and the King George performance was inexplicable.
"Ryan felt he should have just switched him off more and I think I may have trained him too hard for the race. I said that to Prince Khalid (Abdullah, owner) afterwards, so I think I was proved right on that. I don't know if I'm likely (to train him as a four-year-old), but I'd love to."
Moore added: "He was back to his best best today. He got a nice run through. It got a bit tight at the top of the false straight, but there was half a gap there and he was very brave and really quickened into it well. The Japanese horse kept at him, but he has a great attitude and Ascot wasn't him.
"The Derby and the Arc were my biggest two ambitions in racing and this horse has supplied them both. He wasn't right at Ascot and the boss has done a fantastic job getting him back to his best."
The victory was a fourth in the Arc for Abdullah after Rainbow Quest (1985), Dancing Brave (1986) and Rail Link (2006), and racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said: "I will have to talk to Prince Khalid and Sir Michael, but I think there is a good chance he will stay in training at four."
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