Racing:Danedream ran out a hugely impressive winner of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. Supplemented into the race earlier in the week at a cost of €100,000, the German-trained filly led home a 1-2-3 for the fairer sex as Shareta and Ed Dunlop's Snow Fairy filled the minor places.
Ridden by Andreas Starke, Peter Schiergen’s three-year-old sprinted clear inside the final furlong to add to her two Group One victories in her homeland. The last German-trained Arc winner had been Star Appeal, ridden by Greville Starkey, in 1975.
Aidan O’Brien’s Irish Derby winner Treasure Beach put the pace into the race for his stablemates So You Think, who eventually finished fourth, and St Nicholas Abbey, who was one place behind.
Shareta, thought by many to be Sarafina’s pacemaker, did incredibly well to cling on for second. Snow Fairy had the perfect trip throughout under Frankie Dettori, but could not match the winner’s turn of foot.
The likes of Sarafina, Galikova and Workforce never looked like getting involved at any stage.
Schiergen said: “This is my best moment in racing. I don’t believe it — she was such an easy winner. It’s fantastic and she is the best horse I have trained. It’s a great moment.
“She is a small filly with a big, big heart and there’s no better race to win. I have trained some Group winners, but she is the greatest filly I have ever trained. She won her last two races very easily, but I didn’t think she would be such an easy winner.
“This is a really big day for German racing.”