Daryz warms up for Arc with dominant display in Prix Foy

Daryz looks perfectly placed to defend his Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe crown in four weeks’ time judged on his dominant display in the Prix Foy.

Francis-Henri Graffard’s charge made the perfect start to his four-year-old campaign by winning two more Group Ones at his beloved ParisLongchamp, with a comeback victory in the Prix Ganay followed by a runaway triumph in the Prix Aga Khan IV.

He could only finish third when sent across the Channel for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, but with connections feeling they had viable excuses for that below-par run, the son of Sea The Stars was expected to regain winning ways back on home turf.

On paper his task was not entirely straightforward, with George Scott’s 10-length Coronation Cup winner and fellow Arc aspirant Bay City Roller among his three rivals, and as expected the latter was sent straight to the front by Oisin Murphy in an attempt to draw the sting out of Daryz’s exceptional finishing kick.

But Mickael Barzalona always looked ultra-confident in the saddle aboard the red-hot favourite, who cruised alongside Bay City Roller a furlong out and only had to be pushed out hands and heels to win by a length and three-quarters.

“I couldn’t be happier with the trial he had today. We got a good lead and luckily Oisin made the pace a little bit harder at the top of the hill, so the horse was really travelling nicely,” Graffard told Sky Sports Racing.

“For me as a trainer it was the best preparation I could have for the horse. He will come on a lot for that, I left plenty in him, so he should be spot-on for four weeks’ time.”

Scott too was delighted with the performance of the runner-up and is hoping for rain in Paris ahead of a rematch with Daryz in Europe’s premier middle-distance contest on October 4.

He said: “Oisin was very happy with him and we’ll be hoping for a different set of circumstances in a month’s time.

“We know that this horse has a high level of form on ground like this, but when it rains he’s a different animal.

“He came here and travelled well, went through the race very well and got beaten by a better horse on the day. In four weeks’ time that might be the case (again), but it might not, so we’ll see.

“I think he’s the best version of himself now. The winner might be as well, but in four weeks’ time it’s going to be completely different.

“He’s going to be an underdog coming back, of course he is – Daryz is a champion and he is unbelievable around here. It was all perfect for him today and set up great, but I was very happy with our horse, Oisin was most happy, so we’re looking forward to it.”