Daryz got the better of a titanic battle with the Irish-trained Minnie Hauk to win the 2025 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe by a head. The two three-year-olds finished over five lengths clear of the other 15 runners in a race run in a heavy rain shower. Sosie finished third, meaning that horses drawn in stalls 1, 2 and 3 filled the first three positions.

Daryz is trained by Francis Graffard, who has won more than 10 Group 1 races in Europe so far this year. The Arc winner was ridden by Mikael Barzalona.

Bred by the late Aga Khan and carrying his famous colours, Daryz is by Sea The Stars, winner of the Prix de l'Arc in 2009. Daryz's dam Daryakana (by Selkirk) won the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu a day before Sea The Stars won the Arc. She also won the Hong Kong Vase that year and Daryz is the sixth blacktype horse she has bred.

Like Ace Impact a few years ago, Daryz is a rare Arc winner who did not race at two. He made his racecourse debut at ParisLongchamp in April. After winning a Group 2 race on his fourth start in June, Daryz was supplemented for the Juddmonte International at York in August but he failed to settle in that race and finished last.

Daryz got his season back on track in September when losing out by a short-head to Japanese Derby winner Croix Du Nord in the Group 3 Prix du Prince d'Orange on September 14th. The Arc was his first attempt at 12 furlongs and, as his pedigree suggested, the step up in distance brought about plenty of improvement.