Daryz dazzled in the Prix Aga Khan IV and now sets his sights on Royal Ascot
- Turf Diario
- 1 hour ago
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The Arc hero demolished his rivals at Longchamp, delivering an extraordinary display of speed and now heading directly toward the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot
PARIS, France (Special to Turf Diario).- If there had been even the slightest concern within the camp of Daryz before Thursday’s appearance at ParisLongchamp, it vanished within seconds. The sensational winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) delivered yet another monumental performance in capturing the newly renamed Prix Aga Khan IV (G1)—formerly the Prix d’Ispahan—confirming that he is currently operating at an absolutely extraordinary level.
The trainee of Francis-Henri Graffard, carrying the famous colors of the Aga Khan Studs, dismissed Leffard (Le Havre) by 3 1/2 lengths with startling ease, while multiple Group 1 winner Sosie (Sea The Stars) finished third, beaten 7 1/2 lengths by the winner—significantly farther back than in last year’s Arc, despite Thursday’s shorter distance.
After proving last autumn that he could dominate Europe’s most demanding 2400-meter test, Daryz is reinventing himself in 2026 as a horse capable of unleashing devastating speed over far sharper trips.
The impression left by his finishing burst was downright frightening.
After stalking the pace set by mare Qilin Queen (Pinatubo), the son of Sea The Stars exploded in the stretch with a brutal turn of foot, covering his final 600 meters in exactly :33 seconds, including a penultimate furlong in a dazzling :10.68—one of the fastest sectional times recorded all day.
Not even specialist sprinters had managed anything similar earlier on the same card.
“He’s an impressive horse,” summarized Princess Zahra Aga Khan. “He was completely relaxed throughout the race. Mickael said he jumped a couple of shadows, but he always stayed within himself. I think we’re only now beginning to see the complete horse we imagined last year,” she added.
The reference to the shadows was not insignificant.
Mickael Barzalona later explained that despite such an overwhelming display, Daryz still showed minor signs of immaturity.
“He’s the kind of horse every jockey dreams of riding,” said the Frenchman. “He’s a force of nature, with an enormous engine. At the 300-meter mark I had to ask him to focus because he started looking at shadows, but aside from that he won very easily.”
Graffard, far from being satisfied, delivered a statement likely to send chills through future rivals.
“This was practically a morning exercise for him,” the trainer said. “He’s still developing physically. He carries the same weight, but he’s added tremendous muscle. He came back without even being tired. I genuinely believe he can improve even further.”
Graffard also explained that he had never doubted the horse’s ability to adapt to shorter distances.
“I never questioned whether he could sustain this kind of pace over 1850 or 2000 meters. The important thing is that people can now appreciate his acceleration. The Arc showed one aspect of him, the Ganay another, and today he confirmed it again.”
The next target has already been identified: the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot.
Still, Graffard cautioned that such extraordinary talent will need to be carefully managed.
“We can’t ask him to produce this level of effort all year long. At some point he’ll need a break, probably during the summer. We also know he loves the autumn, and we want him fresh again for that stage of the season.”
The afternoon also carried enormous emotional significance for the Aga Khan operation.
The race was officially renamed the Prix Aga Khan IV in tribute to the legendary owner-breeder who passed away in February 2025.
“It was an extremely special day for us,” admitted Princess Zahra. “My father made a massive contribution to French, Irish, and European racing. To have a horse like Daryz win this very first edition makes everything even more emotional.”
Meanwhile, Leffard’s camp summed up what many across Europe are probably thinking today.
“We were beaten by an extraterrestrial,” admitted Jean-René Dubosc, assistant to Jean-Claude Rouget.
And it is difficult to find a better description.
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