Aga Khan rules on Paris Arc Trials day

The Aga Khan Studs enjoyed a red-letter day after pulling off a hat-trick of wins on the well-established Arc Trials day at ParisLongchamp on Sept 6.

The world renowned breeding and racing operation combined with their principal trainer Francis-Henri Graffard and their retained jockey Mickael Barzalona to win two of three Arc prep features – preludes to the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2,400m) held on Oct 4 – as well as the €800,000 (S$1.18 million) Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (1,600m).

Daryz, the defending Arc champion and the favourite to go back-to-back this year, lived up to expectations with a dominant victory over his rivals in the €119,000 Group 2 Prix Foy (2,400m).

The $6 odds-on favourite sat in second behind leader Bay City Roller (Oisin Murphy) before flicking on the afterburners at the 250m to sweep past and prevail by 1½ lengths from the UK raider.

Graffard was upbeat about Daryz’s chances in his main assignment coming up in the Arc after a smart first-up win since the Sea The Stars four-year-old galloper’s third in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (2,000m) in June.

“It was important for Daryz to show this kind of behaviour and calmness on his return to racing,” said the French trainer.

“Today, the race unfolded well, with Bay City Roller going to the front and getting the race going at the top of the rise. Daryz took hold of the bit nicely then and accelerated well in the straight.

“He is now only six kilos above his racing weight, so he will be perfect on the day of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.”

Daryz’s three-year-old stablemate Varandir ($20) scored his second Group win in the Group 2 Prix Niel (2,400m), handing Graffard his first victory in this feature.

The Zarak colt secured his maiden “black type” win in the Group 3 Prix Hocquart (2,200m) in May before finishing fourth behind Maltese Cross in the Group 1 Grand Prix De Paris (2,400m) in July.

Both Daryz and Varandir have been nominated for the Arc, but the latter is also entered in the Group 2 Prix Dollar (2,000m) and the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay (3,000m) that will be run at ParisLongchamp a day before the Arc meeting.

The Aga Khan Studs’ third winner of the day, Erdenali – a gelding and therefore not eligible to contest the Arc – landed his maiden Group 1 success in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (1,600m) at his fifth start.

The Caravaggio three-year-old proved too strong for his rivals, including Aidan O’Brien’s Irish 2,000 Guineas hero and favourite Gstaad and Charlie Appleby’s Opera Ballo.

Erdenali ($36) eventually held off Ten Bob Tony (Tom Marquand) to win by 1¼ lengths. Gstaad (Ryan Moore) ran third and Opera Ballo (William Buick) finished fourth.

Although he is a 5-2 favourite for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (1,600m) at Ascot on Oct 17, Graffard said connections are likely to run him in a US feature on Oct 4 instead.

“We’re planning for him to go to Keeneland for the Grade 1 Turf Mile Stakes (1,600m),” said the Chantilly-based handler to Racing Post.

“What I want to do is take him to the (Grade 1) Breeders’ Cup Mile (1,600m), so we’ll work out the best way to get there.”

Graffard had two runners in the third Arc trial – the €600,000 Group 1 Prix Vermeille (2,400m) – but both Sunly (third) and Rabbit’s Foot (fourth) were beaten by the UK-trained Friendly Soul ($33).

Ridden by James Doyle, the John and Thady Gosden-trained five-year-old mare by Kingman broke the 2,400m course record established by Pearly Shells in 2002, when she held off Pink Panthera (Pierre-Charles Boudot) to stop the clock at 2min 25.46sec.

Now, the two-time Group 1 winner has earned a berth in the Arc, but connections are also looking at the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera (2,000m), a race she won in 2024 and which will take place at ParisLongchamp on the same day.

sharonzhang@sph.com.sg