On Sunday at Longchamp, in what proved to be yet another compelling renewal of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Daryz produced a remarkable late surge to overtake favourite Minnie Hauk and win by a head.

In doing so, he added his name to the list of Arc greats and delivered the Aga Khan family their eighth victory in Europe’s most prestigious middle-distance race.

Daryz Lands Arc in Style with Late Surge

Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and ridden by Mickaël Barzalona, Daryz’s victory saw him stay on powerfully in the final furlongs to collar Minnie Hauk right on the line.

Barzalona, speaking after the race, said the favourite had quickened impressively but that Daryz found another gear when it mattered most.

“He gave me everything. When I asked, he responded immediately. I could feel the strength underneath me,” he said.

Minnie Hauk looked to have the race under control, travelling strongly under Christophe Soumillon, while Daryz was held up in the pack. But when the gaps appeared, Barzalona threaded his way through and timed his challenge to perfection.

Soumillon was riding in place of the injured Ryan Moore, but there was nothing else he could have done in the saddle to get Minnie Hauk home.

Trainer of Daryz, Graffard later revealed that the defeat at York in the Juddmonte International had been part of a bigger plan to toughen the horse up ahead of the autumn.

“That race made him,” he said. “He came on physically and mentally, and I knew he would be better for it.”

The victory came in Daryz’s seventh career start, a testament to how carefully his connections have handled him.

His pedigree certainly says he’s capable of winning a race like this. By Sea The Stars, who also won the Arc and out of Daryakana, both horses with plenty of stamina and class, Daryz had the bloodlines of an Arc winner, for sure.

In the aftermath of the win, celebrations were, of course, in full flight, but a question definitely hung over them, and was speculated on by the TV coverage of the race.

Would Daryz retire to stud, as so many Arc winners do? Or would he stay in training to build on this breakthrough success?

Daryz to Continue in 2026, Eyes on Title Defence

Just days after the race, the Aga Khan Stud has confirmed that Daryz will remain in training for the 2026 season and will not run again this year.

Nemone Routh, the racing manager for the operation, explained that the decision was taken collectively between Graffard, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, and the wider team.

“We all felt he’s only just coming into his maturity now,” she said. “If we retired him immediately, it would look like we didn’t have confidence in what he can still achieve.”

Routh added that the plan for next season would be to target Europe’s major middle-distance races, with the possibility of returning to Longchamp to defend his Arc crown. Of course, it’s 12 months between now and then; there’s a lot of time and racing to be done in that period. Things need to go well, but if they do, then it’s something to get us all excited about next autumn.

It’s definitely a bold decision in an era when many high-profile winners are swiftly retired to stud, but one that fans and the racing community alike have widely praised.

“The easiest thing to do would be to send him to stud,” Routh continued, “but we believe he has more to offer as a racehorse. Keeping him in training gives him the chance to show how good he really is.”

There are, of course, challenges ahead. Maintaining peak form into a new season is never easy, and the physical and mental demands on a horse of Daryz’s calibre are going to be there. It’s easier the first time, but coming back to the top level again, in the following year, is something that many struggle to do.

For racing fans, the prospect of seeing him return to Longchamp next October is an enticing one.

Whatever happens next season, Daryz has landed an Arc, he’ll make plenty of money at stud, but there could be so much more. The greats come back, and they do it all again, and next year, we’ll get to watch Daryz trying to do that.