Superstar colt Daryz has been retired just five days after he won his second successive Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The four-year-old will now stand as a stallion for the Aga Khan operation, although no decision has been made on where he will stationed, with France and Ireland both very much a possibility.
Owner/breeder Princess Zahra Aga Khan described his accomplishments on the track as "the pinnacle of what one can achieve".
A son of 2009 Arc hero Sea The Stars, Daryz did not hit the track as a juvenile, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard instead waiting until his three-year-old campaign to unleash him onto the track.
He won each of his first four starts at three, a run that culminated in his first Group success when beating Bay City Roller in the Prix Eugene Adam at the end of June. His first foray into Group 1 company didn't go to plan however, beaten comprehensively by Ombudsman in the Juddmonte International.
Defeat didn't have too much of an effect on him though and, after a runner-up finish to Croix Du Nord in the Prix du Prince d'Orange, he landed the first of his Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe successes. The style in which he swept beyond Minnie Hauk proving that the ceiling was far higher than what had been seen so far on the track.
More was expected at four and he delivered, taking out two Group 1s before another trip over to Britain ended in another loss at the hands of the same rival, Ombudsman.
Again he bounced back, and success in the Arc saw him become the first colt or older horse to record back-to-back wins in the race since Alleged in the late 1970s. Daryz retires with more than £5m in career earnings to his name, a rating of 127 and four top-level victories, but it is his potential at stud that will be of huge value to the breed going forward.
Paying tribute to his stable star colt, Graffard said: "Since I began training, Daryz is clearly one of the best horses I have ever been responsible for. I am fortunate to work with many very good horses, but he is truly exceptional: beautifully bred, with a remarkable physique, particularly an outstanding hindquarter."
With Daryz now out of action, it opens the door for Calandagan to defend his Champion Stakes crown for the stable later this month; at current the five-year-old is 3/1 joint-favourite for the race alongside Ombudsman, with Arc runner-up Bay City Roller not far behind at 9/2.
