Daryz breezes to Prix Foy prep win ahead of Arc de Triomphe defence

The Francis Graffard-trained four-year-old was a narrow winner of the 2025 Arc and is the 9/4 favourite to go back-to-back early next month after coming through his Group 2 prep race with flying colours.

On a wonderful afternoon for his trainer, jockey Mickael Barzalona and ownership team the Aga Khan Studs, who also won the Prix Niel with Varandir and Prix du Moulin courtesy of Erdenali, there was an air of inevitability about Daryz, who was the long odds-on favourite to take care of just three rivals, headed by George Scott's Coronation Cup hero Bay City Roller.

Sunday's Longchamp ground was riding much quicker than when the British raider shocked Calandagan et al at Epsom earlier in the year and his jockey Oisin Murphy tried to turn the race into a true test, setting out to make all and still holding an advantage a couple of furlongs from the finish.

However, Barzalona was merely going through the gears on Sea The Stars colt Daryz, who loomed up before cruising past and winning snugly by a length and three-quarters.

The win took Daryz's Longchamp record to a remarkable seven wins from eight starts, his only course defeat coming via a short-head reverse in last year's Prix du Prince d'Orange, when gearing up for his first attempt at the Arc.

Daryz now tops Paddy Power and Sky Bet's revised antepost market for the Arc at 9/4 (from 11/4), with the William Haggas-trained Maltese Cross a 5/1 chance ahead of Ralph Beckett's Kalpana at 7/1 and Andrew Balding's Item at 12s. Varandir is also into 12/1 on the back of his Prix Niel success, with Bay City Roller a 16/1 shot.

Graffard told Sky Sports Racing: "I couldn't be happier with the trial he had today, we got a good lead and luckily Oisin made the pace of the race a little bit harder at the top of the hill and going down the hill, so the horse was really travelling nicely.

"It is the best preparation I can have for the horse, he will come on a lot for that in four weeks' time."

Scott said of the runner-up: "Oisin was very happy with him and we'll be hoping for a different set of circumstances in a month's time. We know this horse has got a high level of form on ground like this, but when it rains he's a different animal.

"He came here, he travelled very well throughout, he was relaxed all day, went through the race well but got beaten by a better horse on the day. And 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 could be completely different and we're going to look forward to it. There's only one Arc and clear he loves the track. He ran well today and it's highly unlikely we'll have similar conditions to today.

"Daryz is a champion and he is unbelievable around here but I was very happy with our horse."

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

Paddy Power: 9/4 Daryz, 5/1 Maltese Cross, 7/1 Kalpana, 12/1 Item, Thundering On, Varandir, 16/1 Bay City Roller, 20s Diamond Necklace, Minnie Hauk, Sunly, 25s Alam, Almaqam, Aventure, Constitution River, Friendly Soul, 33 bar.

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