Daryz overhauled favorite Minnie Hauk just strides from the finish to win the $5.87 million Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp Oct. 5 in the colors of the late owner-breeder, the Aga Khan.

Longchamp coverage courtesy of Racing Post

Trained by Francis Graffard and ridden by Mickael Barzalona, who were both winning the race for the first time, Daryz forced his head in front just in time after Minnie Hauk had initially stretched clear in the final furlong and a half.

The poignant success comes just eight months after the Aga Khan, one of racing’s great owner-breeders, died in February at 88. His famed breeding empire has since been chaperoned by his daughter, Princess Zahra Aga Khan.

Summing up his feelings, Graffard said: “In the past this was just a dream, and now it’s happening to me.”

With his win, French-bred Daryz earned a fees-paid, automatic berth to the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf Nov. 1 at Del Mar, as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In.”

Much of the build-up to the race had focused on the Japanese assault on the race, but luck seemed to elude that nation’s horses in the final week before the race with heavy rain turning the ground unfavorably soft and wide draws hindering two of its three challengers.

The impact of the draw was again at play in this year’s Arc, with the winner breaking from stall two, Minnie Hauk from stall one and Sosie, who was third, coming from stall three. In addition, while a rainbow curved over Longchamp as the Arc was run, it was only because more rain was falling on the runners.

Winner’s enclosure celebration. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Byzantine Dream attracted strong market support before the race started and went off second favorite under jockey Oisin Murphy. He loomed up menacingly on the inside with two furlongs to run but his effort petered out before the final furlong.

Instead, it was Minnie Hauk and Daryz, challenging right down the center of the track in pursuit of the favorite, who fought out the finish, with the Aga Khan’s green and red silks in front as the runners crossed the line.

It was the fifth time the late Aga Khan’s colors have been carried to victory in the race since 1982, with Daryz following Akiyda, Sinndar, Dalakhani, and Zarkava.

“It’s a big win,” Graffard said. “I’m very lucky that Princess Zahra and her family give me the confidence to train this amazing horse, and to win the Arc with these colors is just crazy.”

Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners had enjoyed the perfect start to Arc day with two winners in Breeders’ Cup preps (see below), but had to settle for second with the filly Minnie Hauk.

Michael Tabor, co-owner of Minnie Hauk, said: “Second-itis is a terrible disease, that’s all I can say! It’s just one of those things; we’re very proud of Minnie Hauk, she just got caught. She’s run a blinder. I thought she’d won and I’m sure she’s got a great future, and I look forward to her running many more times.”

O’Brien added: “She ran a great race. What can I say? She ran really well and we’re delighted, really.”– Peter Scargill

The Arc was one of six “Win and You’re In” races held at Longchamp Oct. 5. In other results, Australian import Asfoora finished with a rush to win the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, a qualifier for the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Three-year-old Irish-bred filly Barnavara won a thrilling edition of the Prix de l’Opera Longines by a neck over See The Fire with three other fillies and mares close at the finish, earning a berth in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In the Qatar Prix de La Foret, French-bred Maranoa Charlie defeated favored Zaragana in by 1 ¼ lengths to secure a spot in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF.

Two Longchamp stakes restricted to 2-year-olds started the day’s action, and Irish-bred juveniles from the Coolmore group, trainer Aidan O’Brien, and jockey Christophe Soumillon captured both of them. Favored Diamond Necklace won the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac Criterium des Pouliches by a length, and Puerto Rico dominated the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere by 2 ½ lengths. Those two stakes are “Win and You’re In” qualifiers for the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, respectively.