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In a impressive performance of endurance and pedigree, Daryz caught the hot favorite Minnie Hauk in the final strides of the historic Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe this weekend. The victory came wearing the iconic green and red silks previously worn by the late owner, who died earlier this year. “He was born for such races,” remarked a family member post-race. “On both sides, sire and dam are top-level winners over this trip, so he was destined to handle 2,400m and it’s clear he proved it on Sunday.”

An Impressive Rise for Daryz

The contest marked just the seventh race of Daryz’s career, all during his three-year-old season, and his first at a mile-and-a-half. He becomes the seventh Arc winner for the thoroughbred operation founded nearly a century ago, a sequence that stretches back to 1948, and also the first winner in the green and red silks after a perfect champion’s victory back in the previous decade.

This is a great experience and Sunday was precisely what we aimed to do,” commented the trainer. Daryz was very tough to catch up with Minnie Hauk. To win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe now in this silks is simply unbelievable. Before, it was only a fantasy, but now it’s happening for us.”

Main Contributors in the Victory

Rider Mickaël Barzalona, who famously taking the Derby as a teenager in 2011, emerged from behind to run down the Irish trainer’s filly by a head. This was a maiden success for both the jockey and Francis-Henri Graffard, capping an excellent year for the trainer. Previously this summer, Graffard also took the prestigious Ascot race with another runner, which got prevented from competing in the Arc.

One of the rare setbacks for the yard in the campaign was Daryz’s below-par run in August behind another rival. However, the trainer feels that race helped strengthen the horse for this race. While planning to race at York, I said to the owner, ‘we are not going to win, but it’s necessary to build his resilience for the autumn,’” the trainer explained. “And I think, the loss in that race played a part to win on Sunday because Daryz was, now, very professional and mature.”

Rider’s Thoughts and Future for the Second Place

Barzalona shared great joy that his long quest for an Arc victory is over. We always believed in him,” he said. “When we went to York it was a disorganized race, but he returned much improved. In his mind and in condition, he has progressed significantly and today he was very relaxed. He moved very well, he picked up strongly. All factors combined in this race to secure victory.”

The favorite filly, undefeated in her four races this season, performed up to her best and was a long way ahead of the third-placed runner. It is every chance that she will stay in training at four, with another attempt to the Paris track as a main goal of her plans.

Christophe Soumillon, who also rode Dalakhani to success in the same colours, briefly appeared to have executed a winning run heading into the last stretch. No reasons,” he admitted. “When I felt the winner coming in the final furlong, I saved a little in reserve for the finish and we raced together, but his horse has a powerful finish and he loves the ground. Without him in the race, the filly would have been one of the most dominant Arc-winning fillies, but that’s racing.”

Future Plans and Final Words

There are no plans as yet for Sunday’s winner, but the last comment on the 2025 Arc undoubtedly goes to the owner, the third generation of the family to welcome back an Arc champion. “This is the pinnacle for a owner-breeder,” Princess Zahra said. “My dad was always so over the moon to claim an Arc, and now I understand what it felt like.”