Daryz decision expected imminently

A final decision on whether dual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Daryz will be retired is expected to be made this later this week.

Francis-Henri Graffard’s four-year-old showed off his brilliant acceleration to become the ninth dual winner of the ParisLongchamp showpiece on Sunday, and the first colt to go back-to-back since Vincent O’Brien’s Alleged in 1977 and 1978.

No horse has ever won the Arc three times, but while the Aga Khan Studs’ French racing manager and director Nemone Routh feels Daryz possesses the required ability to potentially complete the historic feat, it appears more likely he will instead be taking up stallion duties in 2027.

“I think we’re going to try and discuss it on Thursday and we’ll probably release something by the end of the day,” she told the Press Association on Tuesday.

“Of course it would be great to think he could win a third Arc – and I think he’s completely capable of it as well. But it is difficult because he’s so valuable now and we do have a stallion operation.

“We will have a discussion and look at the options.”

Daryz could easily have been retired 12 months ago following his first Arc success, but the decision to bring him back for another year has been fully vindicated, with his successful defence of Europe’s premier middle-distance contest preceded by two other Group One wins in the Prix Ganay and Prix Aga Khan IV over shorter distances.

Routh continued: “It was a fairly straightforward decision to keep him in training this year because we felt we were only getting to the bottom of him and that was justified.

“He’s shown what he’s capable of this year. If we’d whisked him off to stud after the Arc last year I think people would have almost forgotten him, so at least we have shown him to everyone and everyone knows what he’s capable of.”

While the camp’s faith in Daryz appears unshakeable, Routh admits there were plenty of nerves flying around beforehand.

“It was a bit different to last year because there was more pressure really,” she added.

“We’d gone through all the build-up and done all the media and you get to the raceday and realise there’s still a race to run in with good horses in it!

“Funnily enough, it didn’t work out so well for the horses drawn on the inside. It got very rough, they didn’t go very fast and I know when they walked the course they felt the better ground was up the centre of the track.

“We wanted to be in the first third and we were quite far back, but then (Mickael) Barzalona managed to get him out and once he got him settled following Diamond Necklace, I think he felt ‘now we’re OK’.

“We know he’s got this incredible turn of foot and he has a real will to win as well. He can quicken off any pace, whether they go fast or they go slow he’s very, very powerful and that’s why he’s competitive at all these different distances, because he has that killer turn of foot.

“It’s become more pronounced this year, just because he’s strengthened and matured mentally. He’s really focussed now and knows exactly what his job is and he’s very contained, which means he doesn’t expend energy doing other things – he’s a real superstar.”