Turntable versus tonearm versus cartridge: which is MOST important?

There's a chap called Mike Lavigne who has an absolute top flight system and is very approachable. I asked him the question and he said that after a certain stage in a turntable it's the improvements in the arm that are the most significant. Cartridges IMHO are often very subjective - liken it to a lens filter that may highlight some aspects better than others. When speaking to quite a few cartridge dealers and repairers of note the impression I get is that above £3000 is about getting the story of some fisherman that makes swords after reading to his grandchildren who only makes cartridges when meditating... I haven't heard enough to say one way or the other.
@chakster as a joke question I bought a JVC QL 10 with UA arm in mint condition for £400 - is a £10,000 cartridge wasted on it?

@lewm 
i think you got my point because clever/lucky buying can distort the equation. 
@chakster not sure if you got the 'tongue in cheek' nature of my joke/question. 
I bought JVC as a doorstop - sorry just kidding - i got it to listen to and as per most people on this forum - I also like my toys - in this case direct drive turntables - I also have a TTS8000 and an EMT 950.
@mijostyn I was wondering when someone would call out the 'elephant in the room' that is the unipivot - a truly lazy engineering solution

@rauliruegas 
use a trough for your tonearm (like my Rock Elite)
It takes the tone out of tonearm and it massively equalises tonearms. To that end it either puts the tonearm as the most/least important part of the equation.
Most - insofar as using the trough highlights how much 'tone' (unwanted resonances) are caused by the arm.
Least - once installed you find it a bit of a tonearm equaliser. I am pondering on a fairly cheap RB250 but with Ikeda wiring.

@mijostyn 
yes damping trough with oil as you see in the Townshend turntables.
it works and I have read the thesis on it too. Pm me and I will email it to you. 

@rauliruegas  I did raise the trough and the vintage bargain as curveballs - just for a bit of fun - and it may well have digressed.
IMHO if it is based upon how one splits the budget (and i am going to do it on the basis of new equipment) turntable, then arm, then cartridge. My logic is based upon the law of diminishing returns happen further up the turntable ladder - then the tonearm - then the cartridge.
Cartridges are a funny thing as everyone will know because important though it is - it really does change the signature sound profoundly. Not just that but even new there are some really great bargains (relative) out there which have certain skills that exist regardless of price.