Zarkava produced a storming finish to take the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday.

The three-year-old filly, ridden by Christophe Soumillon, was behind early on but showed superb acceleration in the closing stages to win comfortably.

"She's beautiful, it was perfect," trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre told BBC Sport. "She's the best horse I've had."

Mick Channon's Youmzain ran another game race to finish runner-up for the second year in a row.

And the stewards ruled that It's Gino and Soldier of Fortune shared third place in a photo finish.

Zarkava, who went into the race on the back of six straight wins, was a major doubt because of earlier concerns over the soft going at Longchamp.

But only one millimetre of rain fell overnight at the Paris track and her participation was confirmed just before the start.

Zarkava had been drawn in stall one on the inside rail and there were worries about her leaving the stalls after she was left at the start in her prep race.

She struggled at the off again in the main race, lurching to her right with Soumillon working hard to stay in the saddle.

But Zarkava worked her way back through the field and as the riders turned into the straight, she was lying in fourth.

It looked as if it might be too much to ask for her to fight her way through but the gaps appeared and Zarkava charged home to become the first filly to win the race since Urban Sea in 1993.

"When I saw the filly in the paddock and in the parade I was sure she was OK today," added Royer Dupre. "I know she has great acceleration.

"She handled the situation very well. I was not worried, you don't get horses like this every day.

"She had a very easy race. It's great to train a filly like that."

Sunday's meeting started in chaotic scenes with a false start called in the Prix de l'Abbaye after one horse failed to leave the stalls as Fleeting Spirit's gate refused to open.

Most of the runners had raced over three furlongs while Hungary's Overdose blazed a fruitless trail down the five-furlong course.

Officials eventually decided that the race would be re-run at 1730 BST.

"We're not going to run again," said Overdose trainer Sandor Ribarszki. "I'm devastated. I've never felt as low as this in my life.

"I didn't travel 1700 miles to be ridiculed like this."

Frankie Dettori, who was aboard Dandy Man, added: "To try and pull up these sprinters at full speed is almost impossible and I realised about halfway that it was a false start."

Dandy Man is one of the horses that will not be asked to compete in the re-run.