Europe's richest horse race The Prix De L'Arc De Triomphe was run at Paris Longchamp on Sunday, with honours going to the host country France, with just a head separating favourite Minnie Hauk and Daryz at the line.

The Francis Graffard trained three-year-old colt got the better of Minnie Hauk in a scintillating climax to the race by a head.

The first three home occupied the lowest three stalls. Winner Daryz emerged from stall two, with Sosie on his outside and Minnie Hauk drawn lowest of all. Of those three, Minnie Hauk sat closer to the pace in the early stages, with Daryz and Sosie settled in midfield.

Christophe Soumillon manoeuvred Minnie Hauk into space approaching the home straight and she travelled strongly, although Daryz made an almost identical move moments later.

It soon became apparent the race was developing into a two-horse affair. Minnie Hauk kicked under Soumillon and had most of the field in trouble, with Daryz the only threat in the final furlong. Sosie was the only other contender to make notable headway.

Under a determined Mickael Barzalona, Daryz charged past Minnie Hauk, who had looked to have made a race-winning move. The Sea The Stars colt showed excellent acceleration through rain-softened conditions to catch the leader, with the front two well clear of the rest.

In the year the Aga Khan died at the age of 88 in February, the sight of his colours being carried to success in the €5 million race with which he had such a storied association provided a suitably sentimental theme.

Asfoora became the first Australian horse to win in France and the first from anywhere to do the Nunthorpe-Abbaye double in the same season for 32 years.

None of that looked possible when she arrived at the track without her passport. There had been a mix-up and she came instead with one belonging to a horse Henry Dwyer had bought at the Arqana sale on Saturday evening. Hers was back at Amy Murphy's yard in Chantilly.

So Murphy, who has been part of the support crew working with Dwyer in France, contacted Francis Graffard's assistant. She in turn put the vital documentation in an Uber, whose driver made it across the city just in time.

Coming to the end of the flat season in a couple of weeks' time, thoughts turn towards many gongs awarded in the racing circle. Surely, Northern trainer Karl Burke deserves some accolade for his training feats this year.

Super Saturday normally will see the Northern handler bagging yet another big race winner. However, on Saturday it was a case of three group successes in the space of 70 minutes.

Al Qareem started the ball rolling after lifting the Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot under Clifford Lee. Fifteen minutes later, Fallen Angel took the Group One Sun Chariot at Newmarket.

The winning Burke Saturday wasn’t slowing down after Native Warrior scored in the Class Two Heritage Handicap at Ascot to give Burke another weekend to remember.

By Peter Moore