French-trained Daryz, prepared at Chantilly by Francis-Henri Graffard, achieved a remarkable feat by winning the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the second consecutive year. You have to go back to Alleged, in 1977 and 1978, to find the last male horse to complete the double in the race. Since then, only the champion mares Trêve and Enable had managed to win two consecutive editions of the Arc.

On Sunday at ParisLongchamp, Daryz was held up for a long time towards the rear of the field before being switched out in the straight by his jockey Mickaël Barzalona. Sent wide, he still had plenty of ground to make up on the British-trained Bay City Roller, whose jockey, Oisin Murphy, had very cleverly overcome his wide draw – stall 15 – by going straight forward on the outside of the field before moving across once he had reached a prominent position. But Daryz possesses an exceptional turn of foot. Three hundred metres from the finish, he first got the better of the Irish-trained Diamond Necklace, who had also been disadvantaged by her draw in stall 16… but, rather like Bay City Roller, Diamond Necklace’s jockey, Christophe Soumillon, managed to compensate for that poor starting position by gradually improving his place through the race.

Daryz then challenged Bay City Roller and quickly asserted his superiority.

With nine victories in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Aga Khan family has extended its own record in the race. It won in 1948 and 1952 with H.H. Aga Khan III, in 1959 with Ali Khan, son of Aga Khan III, then in 1982, 2000, 2003 and 2008 with H.H. Aga Khan IV, son of Ali Khan. The Aga Khan Studs, led by Princess Zahra Aga Khan, daughter of H.H. Aga Khan IV, added two further victories to that record in 2025 and 2026 thanks to Daryz.

Photo: Scoop Dyga