Prix Aga Khan IV (Prix d’Ispahan) (Group 1)

WHEN Daryz got the better of his epic duel with Minnie Hauk in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, onlookers could not fail to have been impressed.

Yet it was still easy to take a critical view of his form – he had been beaten in both of his two previous starts and, Arc apart, his biggest victory had been a relatively narrow one in Group 2 company.

Such negativity is no longer possible after what came to pass at Longchamp on Thursday evening. Having surprised even his staunchest supporter with the speed he showed in sauntering away with a slowly-run Group 1 Prix Ganay over a mile, two furlongs and 110 yards four weeks earlier, the son of Sea The Stars again showed an explosive turn of foot to beat Leffard by a very easy three and a half lengths in the first running of the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan since its name was changed to the Prix Aga Khan IV.

Insodoing he became just the second horse in history to take this race, over a trip of a mile, one furlong and 55 yards, having previously landed the mile and four furlongs Arc.

His trainer, Francis Graffard, said: “Daryz is an exceptional horse but he is not that easy at home and definitely knows that he’s a champion. He was very relaxed today and it was lovely for him to have a relatively straightforward race as we continue his build-up to Ascot [for his run in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes].”

“I’m not in a rush to ask him to go the full mile and a half again before the Arc in October. That’s a distance which can wear on a horse like him who has such a brutal turn of foot.”

The successful owner-breeder, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, said: “Daryz was as cool as a cucumber today and we are now seeing him as a fully developed racehorse. To have a horse that is so flexible in terms of distance is fantastic.”

Asked about winning a race which has been re-named in honour of her late father, she added: “If we hadn’t had a runner it would have been a special race anyway. We happened to have a fantastic horse running in the race which made it even more special.”

Caballo fights to the finish

Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (Group 1)

A DAY before Daryz landed the Arc, Caballo De Mar won what I labelled as ‘one of the worst Group 1 races of recent years’ when taking the Prix du Cadran. I may have tipped him that day, but he has since showed himself to be a considerably better horse than I thought he was with fine performances in defeat at both Meydan and Ascot before topping those two efforts to come out on top in a thrilling finish to the other Group 1 event staged at Longchamp on Thursday, the mile, seven furlongs, 110 yards Prix Vicomtesse Vigier.

Ridden for the first time by Oisin Murphy, Caballo De Mar was always close up behind an honest if unspectacular pace set by his fellow British raider, Santorini Star.

Brought through to lead with over a furlong and a half to run, he then fought of the challenges of the rallying front-runner and his Dubai conqueror, Fairy Glen, before passing the post a short neck ahead of Santorini Star.

Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa came from last place and stormed down the outside to grab third, a short-head further back.

Asmarani was beaten by another short neck in fourth, a head in front of Fairy Glen, meaning that the first five home were covered by little more than half a length.

Winning trainer George Scott will have been delighted and jealous in equal measure when seeing his close friend and fellow Newmarket young thruster, George Boughey, take his career to a new level with the victory of Bow Echo in the 2000 Guineas earlier this month. Now, two days after Boughey saddles his classic hero in the St James’s Palace Stakes, Scott can hope to get one up on his near neighbour by landing the royal meeting’s biggest prize, the Ascot Gold Cup, with Caballo De Mar.

Selma seals great season for Riccis

Prix Alain de Breil (Grade 1)

THE balmy spring conditions at Longchamp on Thursday evening could not have been much further removed from those endured at Auteuil – walking distance away across Paris’s Bois de Boulogne – a few days previously for the Grand Steep’ Weekend two-day fixture.

But the pouring rain and unseasonally low temperatures will have not mattered a jot to the Willie Mullins team responsible for Selma De Vary, who gave the Closutton maestro a fourth victory in France’s most prestigious four-year-old hurdle, the Grade 1 two-mile, three furlongs, 110 yards Prix Alain de Breil.

Stepping up beyond two miles and a furlong for the first time, Selma De Vary was given a very patient ride by Paul Townend.

Having looked in danger of getting detached off the back of the main bunch halfway down the back straight, she then sluiced through the holding ground with such ease that she was disputing the lead jumping the penultimate obstacle.

A tremendous battle with Delmegan ensued, but Selma De Vary always seemed to be getting the upper hand, and she crossed the line a short neck ahead of her mud-spattered rival.

The win, at odds of 5.4/1, continued an astonishing run for her owners, Rich and Susannah Ricci, having previously enjoyed Gaelic Warrior and Lossiemouth carry all before them at both Cheltenham and Ascot.

Townend said: “They went a good gallop and my main aim was to get her settled. I didn’t plan to be so far back but the speed they were going, I thought they’d have to be machines to keep it going.”

“In the end I got there a bit soon and she had to be tough. She’s a magnificent jumper and I knew that I could rely on her jumping to get her back in it.”

Selma De Vary was Mullins’s only representative over the weekend but the day was just short of perfect for him as his son, Patrick, had to settle for second place in France’s top amateur riders’ chase, the Prix Marechal Foch.

Grand Steeple

A renewal of the meeting’s signature race, the three miles, six furlongs Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, which put the emphasis firmly on stamina given the gruelling underfoot conditions, witnessed a dominant 13-length triumph for Sel Jem, a nine-year-old Masked Marvel gelding who was regaining his crown four years after his first victory in the race.

The result was confirmation of the training skills of Guillaume Macaire, who has now annexed the Grand Steep’ eight times, the last two since Hector de Lageneste joined him on the licence.

Since his 2020 win, Sel Jem has twice had lengthy spells on the sidelines, with hip and tendon injuries, and his preparation this time around was severely rushed after Macaire’s yard was hit by a flu in March and Sel Jem was the worst affected.

Racing TV Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil (Grade 1)

THE weather was slightly better on Saturday when Joseph O’Brien’s veteran hurdler Home By The Lee never even hinted that he could cap off his magnificent season by landing the Grade 1 three miles, a furlong and 110 yards Racing TV Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil – J.J. Slevin’s mount was struggling from an early stage and pulled up.

Stung by their defeat in this race 12 months earlier, the team responsible for the 2024 winner, Losange Bleu, namely trainer Dominique Bressou and the Grand Steep-winning jockey Johnny Charron, decided to take no prisoners from the start and, although the field edged closer to the front-runner three flights from home, Losange Bleu then extended away again to score by seven lengths from the 2023 victor, Theleme.

Slevin said: “They went really fast and Home By The Lee was on the back foot the whole way. He just didn’t enjoy himself. We’ve had a great season and fair play to the lads for having a go.”

In similar vein to the Riccis in Britain and Ireland, it was a fantastic meeting for the Papot family, who own Sel Jem and both own and bred Losange Bleu.

They also unveiled a future superstar in the shape of their home-bred three-year-old Maxios gelding, Huron Bleu, who could barely have been more impressive in landing Sunday’s Grade 3, two miles, one furlong and 110yards Arqana Prix Aguado.