ENGLISH VERSION people are concerned, the spotlight has fallen on these recent achievements.
FLAT
DARYZ, BLOOD WILL TELL
BY LOÏC STECHER CHOCRON
Blue-blooded son of an“ Arc” winner and a Hong Kong Vase heroine, and the grandson of the Classic winner Daryaba, Daryz( Sea The Stars) is a gem. A gem of the kind you rarely see! A champion with an exceptional pedigree.
THE MAKING OF A PHENOMENON Who can boast of being handsome, talented and the son of champions? You all know the answer … Daryz, so blessed by Mother Nature. His arrival was eagerly awaited at the Aga Khan Studs … The star was born the day after Labour Day, on 2 May 2022, quite late for a future racehorse. So late that he already weighed 64 kg, well above the average of around 50 kg. Then this handsome foal grew up and, at the time, he was already a brother to four Stakes winners. Given his physique and his pedigree, Francis-Henri Graffard did not run him at two. Like a flower that a gardener tends lovingly, waiting for spring before it starts to bud. So it was in April of his 3-year-old season, in the Prix Juigné, that Daryz made his racecourse debut. Already focused but still learning, he was held in high regard by his trainer. Win followed win, and the Grand Prix de Paris( Gr. 1) was initially considered. But, to everyone’ s surprise, at the end of June, Daryz lined up unbeaten in the Prix Eugène Adam( Gr. 2). In total control, he made a very fine impression, beating a certain Bay City Roller. Note that, on the same day, Calandagan( Gleneagles) won his first Group 1 in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
THE CROWNING GLORY So what next? Should they be tempted by Group 1 races abroad? The answer came quickly: off to Yorkshire, in England. A first trip for Daryz, and quite a long one. A rough, high-class race, and a lack of experience that cost the budding prodigy dear. The horse still had things to learn. That is why Francis- Henri Graffard ran him in the Prix du Prince d’ Orange( Gr. 3). That day, only the Japanese Derby winner, Croix du Nord( Kitasan Black), stood between him and victory, by a short head. It remains his only defeat on French soil, no less. And then came the first Sunday in October last year. An Arc de Triomphe run in pouring rain that set in during the race. Just like the 2008 edition, when a storm broke and Zarkava( Zamindar) burst out of the pack to win. Like his illustrious predecessor, Daryz made steady progress and gradually reeled in Minnie Hauk( Frankel). The rainbow appeared, and Prince Karim Aga Khan, who had passed away the previous winter, was there in spirit, saluting his champion. But it was Princess Zahra and her children who welcomed the star on his return.
2026, FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS What followed was a winning return at four over 2,100 metres and a lightning raid over 1,850 metres. Two Group 1 victories, each marked by a breathtaking turn of foot. Then came another trip to England, which ended in third place. The horse was unwell that day, but his connections did not lose heart. His main objective remained the same: to defend his title in the thoroughbred world championship. Everything was geared towards the Qatar Prix de l’ Arc de Triomphe. Back at ParisLongchamp for his comeback race, Daryz met Bay City Roller again and made short work of him. An ideal preparation, according to his trainer. Sunday 4 October 2026. D-Day. Daryz had a date with history, and that day the planets aligned. Despite a good start, Daryz dropped back, further and further. But his faithful jockey, Mickaël Barzalona, then found a good back to follow, that of Diamond Necklace( St Mark’ s Basilica), Europe’ s best 3-year-old filly. It was she who gradually brought him back to the front. Daryz landed his second“ Arc” thanks to his trademark: an extraordinary turn of foot. He beat 11 individual Group 1 winners, compared with 13
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