Daryz a shoo-in in Prix Aga Khan

Daryz ticks all the boxes and then some to one of Europe’s most prestigious middle-distance features on May 21.

Not only does the brilliant Francis-Henri Graffard-trained four-year-old stand head and shoulders above his four rivals in the ParisLongchamp race, but another victory would inject an extra special touch to his connections this time.

With a stellar CV that already boasts two Group 1 wins, including the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2,400m) in October, the four-year-old colt by Sea The Stars is unsurprisingly at ultra-short odds to capture a third elite race in the €250,000 Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan (1,850m) at ParisLongchamp this Thursday.

After a slashing win first-up from his Arc triumph in the Group 1 Prix Ganay (2,100m) at ParisLongchamp on April 26, he will be hard to topple with regular partner Mickael Barzalona in the saddle.

On racing merit alone, Daryz is a shoo-in, but even for those in search of less tangible factors, he may well get some divine help from above this time.

First run in 1873, the Prix d’Ispahan was named in honour of the Shah of Persia, whose capital was Isfahan or Ispahan in French.

153 years later, the four-year-old weight-for-age has been renamed, and again after another Persian royalty from the same dynasty, the late legendary horse owner, the Aga Khan, founder of Daryz’s ownership outfit, the Aga Khan Studs.

It would only be fitting that the famous emerald and red epaulettes silks fly high at the inaugural edition of the Prix Aga Khan IV.

The iconic colours have also been riding on a crest of a wave since the classic-winning owner died in February 2025, mostly through the global dominance of its flagbearer Calandagan as well as Daryz and more recently, Rayif in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (1,600m) on May 10.

Standing in Daryz’s way are four opponents who can be split into two camps – two possible nemeses in Andre Fabre’s formidable globetrotter Sosie and Jean-Claude Rouget’s Leffard, a worthy winner of the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris (2,400m) last July and the two rank-outsiders Qilin Queen and Divine Chrisnat.

Andre Fabre’s Sosie made a creditable comeback in the Group 1 QEII Cup (2,000m) at Sha Tin on April 26, running third to the world’s richest horse, Romantic Warrior.

This race would have done the 2025 Group 1 Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) winner a power of good and he should not be underestimated second-up.

Leffard finished midfield in the Arc, more than seven lengths off Daryz. With the two rivals reopposing on the same weight terms, it is hard to see the tables turned.

But Rouget’s ward’s neck-second to Bright Picture in the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt (2,000m) at ParisLongchamp upon his resumption on April 5 gives him a chance to sneak into the trifecta.

On the same day will be run the €400,000 Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (3,100m), which could again go the way of the Aga Khan-Graffard-Barzalona trio with favourite Asmarani.

The four-year-old by 2020 Arc winner Sottsass is coming off a three-in-a-row in staying contests around Paris, defeating Double Major into second each time.

The pair meet again in the Vicomtesse but they may well finish in the same order again.

manyan@sph.com.sg