Black Caviar preserved her unbeaten record with a narrow triumph in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The Australian sprinting sensation secured her 22nd consecutive victory with a dramatic head defeat of Moonlight Cloud.
It was a remarkable finish, however, as regular jockey Luke Nolen, who had looked in supreme control from the outset, appeared to ease down his mount close to the line.
The 1-6 favourite still held on for a famous victory after a short wait for the photo-finish.
Peter Moody's supermare has spiked the racing public's imagination since touching down at Heathrow two weeks ago, and for much of the six-furlong contest everything appeared to be running exceedingly smoothly
Black Caviar raced in third as soon as the gates opened as Soul and Bogart cut out the running.
Nolen's companion was never off the bridle at that stage, and glided to the front just outside the final furlong.
To the naked eye, though, it felt as though Nolen was guilty of complacency as he fleetingly appeared to stop riding.
Moonlight Cloud flew at the death on her inside and would have got up within another few yards.
Restiadargent ran a huge race in third, another neck away from the Australian speed merchant.
Moody's imposing daughter of Bel Esprit was claiming her 12th Group One triumph.
Victory in the Diamond Jubilee - her first start outside of Australia - also took her career earnings to just short of £4million.
Affectionately nicknamed 'Nelly' at her stables in Caulfield, Victoria, Black Caviar has been sent off the odds-on favourite in every one of her races since she won on debut at Flemington in April, 2009.
Yet despite her remarkable winning streak, she remains the second-highest-rated thoroughbred in the world behind Frankel, the brilliant winner of the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.
And while Black Caviar has been defeating good horses in her homeland - she has brushed aside three-times Group One scorer Hay List five times, for instance - this assignment was considered by most to be the sternest examination of her talents.
Happily for racing purists and romanticists alike, she answered every call - even though her jockey ensured a nerve-jangling finale.
A sheepish Nolen accepted he had misjudged his challenge at the line.
He said: "I underestimated the testing track of Ascot.
"She'd had enough and that big engine throttled right down.
"It's unfortunate, because we're going to talk more about my brain failure than the horse's fantastic effort.
"We won, but it may have overshadowed what was a fantastic effort by the horse.
"We got away with it."
