Treve transcends all in magnificent Arc repeat

Unwanted as an Arqana October yearling, Treve rose from

relative obscurity to stardom in a short spell last summer when inflicting impressive defeats

on high-class opponents Chicquita and Wild Coco in Chantilly's Prix de Diane and

the Prix Vermeille respectively. Her brilliant display

in this event last October was all the more meritorious from a disadvantageous stall in 15 on

testing ground with the likes of Orfevre in attendance and visually as lasting as any of its kind in recent memory.

Despite the scintillating nature of her performance, it is hard to

escape the influence of this contest's weight-for-age bias towards the sophomores on top of the sex allowance, and she had to return this year to prove herself in a different

context.

On her return here, she faced real adversity with the first of those benefits stripped away along with the feeling of invincibility she had carried along with her during her

pomp in 2013. Her return short-neck second to Cirrus des Aigles in the Prix Ganay over 10 1/2 furlongs here April

27 had been met with shock, but that was replaced by a sense of disillusionment

as she scrambled into third in the Prince of Wales's at Royal Ascot June 18. Diagnosed with back

problems after that eclipse, she was quietly restored by Head-Maarek as the world

slowly forgot her and cast her achievements to history, but her wily conditioner with her

bank of stored knowledge and understanding of training the racehorse persevered.

Still

indignant after Treve had put in a relatively flat effort when fourth behind fillies she would

have toyed with last year on her comeback in the Vermeille, Head-Maarek's voice was alone in

the wilderness in the build-up to the latest renewal. Early evidence in the race itself was

conclusive that she was back to her bullish best as she tugged at Jarnet's grip around six

lengths off the typically generous pace.

Tracking the year-younger filly sensation of this season,

Avenir Certain, throughout, she tanked along the "false straight" and when

the seam opened on the inner with a quarter mile remaining quickly brushed aside that dual

classic winner and was clear. Flintshire and the wide runner Taghrooda gave honest

pursuit, but Treve's acceleration set her apart once more and her rider was able to savor the last

100 meters.

"I've heard so many things, but today she has proved

that she's come back to her best," Head-Maarek said. "When I saw her going

so well in the false straight, I knew that she was going to win. We

had a fantastic race along the rail, not wasting a meter and

everything opened up in front. She has that fantastic turn of foot and

that's what she did again.

"I said to Sheikh Joaan after the Vermeille, 'Please don't rule her out. Let's run her in the Arc and we'll see,' and I

really believed she could win again. Every time she had run this year, she

had run worse than the time before, but you have to keep believing

in what you do."

Al Shaqab's racing advisor Harry Herbert paid tribute to

the trainer's skills afterwards.

"If we'd listened to Criquette all the

way along, then we'd have believed it," he said. "She's a remarkable

trainer and this is a remarkable filly. She has never lost faith in this filly

and this week she called me and said, 'Harry, I've just seen a piece of work

and she's definitely back,' so it was very exciting.

"This filly means more to Sheikh Joaan than

any horse he owns and she carries the flag of a nation -- of Qatar -- with her. It was a

remarkable performance, a brilliant ride and we don't see animals like this very often. She'll be

retired now, as she has little more to prove. She has proved the doubters wrong and now she's off to the

Sheikh's stud and we'll decide on her first husband."

Herbert also paid tribute to

veterinarian Duncan Moir.

"Duncan Moir, a vet with Al Shaqab, has done a remarkable job to get her

back and feet right," he said. "There are so many people involved and I'm just a spokesperson,

but I have to tell you how incredible the people behind this filly are."

For last year's Grand Prix de Paris winner Flintshire, the effort represented a career-high for the Juddmonte

homebred.

"He has run a very good race and we always knew he was good,

but he has to have it good or faster," Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe said of

the runner-up. "He is a fresh horse and the plan is to go to the Breeders' Cup Turf

(at Santa Anita November 1)."

Taghrooda, who was forced to race wide throughout, ran with credit after

being up near the pace.

"I felt that she ran fantastically,

but it was just a shame about that draw -- I had to get after her early on just to get a good

position," jockey Paul Hanagan said of the Epsom Oaks and King George VI and

Queen Elizabeth heroine. "I just saw a flash up the inside. Treve is some horse."

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