Daryz holds on for historic back-to-back Arc triumph at Longchamp
Daryz is the king of Paris again.
The French colt won back-to-back Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe titles on 4 October 2026 at Longchamp, holding on late to beat Bay City Roller and Diamond Necklace in Europe's most famous flat race. It was a second straight win in the 1m 4f championship for jockey Mickaël Barzalona and trainer Francis-Henri Graffard The Guardian.
Barzalona had to wait. Daryz did not hit the front until inside the final furlong, the last 220 yards or so to the line. The winning time was 2 minutes 27.11 seconds, according to France Galop France Galop.
Bay City Roller finished second after disputing the lead for much of the way. Oisin Murphy rode the runner-up from stall 15, the wide starting gate that left him with plenty to do early. Diamond Necklace was third under Christophe Soumillon for trainer Aidan O'Brien.
Nothing came easy. Barzalona said the pace was not strong, the race was rough and nothing went to plan. He said winning the Arc twice proves Daryz is an exceptional horse.
History puts that in context. Daryz is only the sixth colt to win the Arc in consecutive years, and the first since Alleged in 1977 and 1978. Alleged completed his double in 1978 with Lester Piggott riding The Guardian.
It was a result many expected. Daryz was well fancied to pull off the rare repeat ahead of the 2026 race, a year after winning the 2025 Arc at odds of 12/1 when he denied favourite Minnie Hauk Reuters.
The winner carries the famous green and red colours of the Aga Khan Studs. Princess Zahra Aga Khan took over the running of the operation after the death of her father in 2025. Daryz is out of the mare Daryakana, a homebred line the yard knows well.
The beaten connections had no hiding place. George Scott trains Bay City Roller, who ran a brave race from that wide draw to lead for so long. O'Brien and Soumillon had to settle for third with Diamond Necklace after a clean run through the field.
What makes this stand out is the patience of it. Barzalona did not panic when the gaps closed and the pace slowed. He trusted the acceleration he knew was there, and asked for it only when the race was ready to be won.
