Treve Defends Prix De l’Arc Championship

2013 Prix De l’Arc champion Treve had looked alternately mediocre and horrible this year. Three races with no victories and an extended layoff due to a back injury and nagging foot problems. Most significantly, she just didn’t “look right” turning in dull and listless performances in marked contrast to the ball of fire she was a year ago. Despite all of this evidence to the contrary her trainer Criquette Head-Maarek said heading up to the 2014 Prix De l’Arc that she was rounding in to form despite copious evidence to the contrary.

It turns out he was right. On Sunday at Longchamp she became the first horse to win back to back Prix De l’Arc championships since Alleged in 1978. Not only did Treve win she did so in impressive fashion as she found good position along the rail and then ‘downshifted’ to leave the rest of the field in the dust before winning the race by two lengths with jockey Thierry Jarnet aboard. Flintshire came in second with Taghrooda in third.

Treve’s stock had dropped precipitously throughout the summer. After being the Prix De l’Arc betting favorite for much of the spring her odds had slipped to 11/1 at post time. Things didn’t look good for her even before the race began as the thinking was she would perform poorly on firm ground due to her aforementioned ailments. Apparently, no one told her this and she responded with a spectacular performance. Treve is the fourth consecutive female horse to win Europe’s biggest race.

Her place in racing history secure by virtue of back to back Prix De l’Arc championships, Treve is being retired to the farm of her Qatari owner Sheikh Joaan al Thani to start a breeding career. Her trainer felt compelled to heap a few more superlatives on her as she finished her racing career and justified his great faith in her despite a sea of critics: “She is amazing, she is a dream. This is a great personal satisfaction for me, this is truly wonderful. I couldn’t believe the gap that opened for her on the rails and then her burst of acceleration was extraordinary.”