Daryzan announced himself on the scene yesterday (5th May, 2026) by winning the Prix Mendez at Saint-Cloud. The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained three-year-old won on debut and drew immediate praise from some respected voices in the industry.
Daryzan, a half-brother to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz, gave a highly polished first track appearance in the Prix Mendez, a one-mile newcomers’ event at Saint-Cloud, in the south-western suburbs of Paris.
The Aga Khan Stud-owned colt was ridden by Mickael Barzalona and won as the 7-10 favourite. After being settled towards the back of the pack, he then made ground from four furlongs out.
He then moved into second when asked to challenge a furlong from home, led inside the final 110 yards, and went on strongly to win by five lengths.
Daryzan – A TDN Rising Star
Memory was back in a distant second, with Modelling back in third, in a 14-runner field on soft ground. The margin of Daryzan’s win in his first outing, and the way he closed out the race, is what set it apart from normal, routine debut successes.
The performance was recognised by Thoroughbred Daily News, which awarded Daryzan a TDN Rising Star tag. They also noted that the colt already holds entries in the Prix du Jockey Club and Grand Prix de Paris, underlining the regard in which he is held in his stable.
Graffard spoke after the race about how Daryzan had been an immature horse at home and that the stable had put significant work into settling him before his first start. He also said the colt handled the conditions better than he’d expected and suggested that there is room for more improvement.
High-Class Potential
Graffard also spoke of his belief that Daryzan should stay 10 furlongs in time, although the trainer also indicated the immediate next step would depend on how the colt comes out of this first run.
That leaves his short-term destination open, but the shape of the debut strongly suggested that his connections have a potentially high-class middle-distance horse on their hands.
Given that Daryzan is closely related to elite international performers and delivered such a quality debut, it immediately puts him on the watchlist for bigger French targets later in the season.
When a colt with his pedigree wins in such eye-catching fashion and earns instant recognition, then he’s also marked his card as one to watch for the future.
