Treve's temporary form fluctuation is forgotten forever as the champion filly's class ensured her a permanent place in racing history after back-to-back victories in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Treve's dazzling Longchamp rout of Flintshire and Taghrooda yesterday will live long in the memory no doubt and blur recollections as to how so many managed to write her off beforehand.
Winless in three starts in 2014, and looking just a pale shadow of the unbeaten superstar performer who swamped her Arc rivals in 2013, not even getting rid of Frankie Dettori in favour of her old ally Thierry Jarnet resuscitated too many hopes that Treve could bounce back to her best and become just the seventh horse to win the Arc twice.
Vincent O’Brien’s great horse Alleged had been the last to manage it in 1977-78. Before him the legendary Ribot won twice in 1955-56. But even such exclusive company
can’t argue that they won their Arcs more impressively than Treve.
That it was her trainer Criquette Head-Maarek who stubbornly retained her faith in the supposedly fading star when everyone else doubted is hardly surprising. That it should have been vindicated in Europe’s greatest race is perhaps only marginally more surprising, which says it all about the trainer and her relationship with the race.
It is 67 years since her grandfather Willie won France's greatest contest with Le Paillon who six months earlier had been runner-up in a Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Willie Head won it again almost 20 years later. His son Alec trained four Arc winners. His son Freddie rode four, including the home-bred Three Troikas that his sister Criquette trained in 1978.
If the Arc is French racing’s greatest race, then the Heads are its greatest dynasty, a point emphasised by Treve’s stable companion Full Mast getting the Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere from the stewards after Aidan O’Brien’s Gleneagles was disqualified; and We Are landed the Prix de l’Opera for Freddie, who wore his trainer’s hat.
So when Treve’s most dogged advocate reported to the Qatari Al Shaqab team during the week that “she’s back, she’s definitely back
”, it carried an Arc pedigree that even the most sceptical could not ignore. But somehow most people still appeared to manage it.
“With all the problems we’ve had, everyone was saying she shouldn’t run, she should go to stud, she’s cooked. But today she’s proved she’s come back to her best,” said her vindicated handler. “Last year I felt she was going to win. But this is better.”
For a filly that could manage only fourth in her trial less than a month ago, it was a remarkable rejuvenation that had Jarnet in tears after securing his fourth Arc. Having ridden We Are to success in the previous race Treve confirmed the 47-year-old French man’s mastery of Longchamp and must have left Dettori wondering.
Last year he missed out on Treve’s Arc through injury. This time she was taken from him by a trainer seeking to restore a champion to form. That there’s always vindication for the winner will be scant consolation to Dettori.
There was confirmation that Treve will be retired to stud in Normandy and Dettori’s disappointment was soothed in the following Prix de la Foret as he powered Olympic Glory to success in Treve’s Al Shaqab colours. Tom Hogan’s Gordon Lord Byron was runner-up for the second year running.
The Aidan O’Brien team have next year’s clear Oaks favourite after Found was much too good in the Prix Marcel Boussac but the colts equivalent Group One was intensely frustrating for Ballydoyle as Gleneagles’ drift right on to Full Mast and Territories cost him a second top-flight success.
The Dermot Weld-Pat Smullen team were out of luck with Tarfasha. And Pale Mimosa’s stamina ran out in the Prix du Cadran won by English raider High Jinx.
