PARIS, Oct 5: The Aga Khan’s Dalakhani, ridden by Christophe Soumillon and trained by Alain de Royer Dupre, won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp here on Sunday.

The 9-4 second favourite beat home 25-1 outsider Mubtaker with 13-8 market leader High Chaparral filling third for the second year running.

The French Derby hero had to call on all his noted speed and stamina to overcome a poor draw and desperately soft ground to add his name to the Arc’s roll of honour.

Soumillon, for whom this was a debut win in Europe’s most prestigious race, returned to a reception fit for a king from the 40,000-crowd, the 22-year-old Belgian shedding a bucketful of tears along the way.

The French champion-elect was drawn in stall 14 on the wide outside and bided his time towards the rear of the field before slowly creeping towards the front.

Making light of the testing ground the grey bore down on leader Mubtaker in the straight, hitting the front to a tremendous roar from the stands inside the final furlong.

Marcus Tregoning, trainer of Mubtaker, thought for a second the 2003 Arc was destined for his runner.

High Chaparral hit a flat spot going round the final bend before picking up again under Michael Kinane.—AFP