San Francisco Frontiers - Three previous two-time Arc de Triomphe winners

The Francis Graffard-trained champion -- ridden for a second consecutive year by Mickael Barzalona -- became the ninth horse to achieve the feat. Eight of those horses have been back-to-back winners of the historic race since it was first run in 1920.

AFP Sport picks out three of the most memorable (horse, country trained in, years they won):

Ribot (ITA) 1955/56

From time to time nicknames appear over-hyped but Ribot's moniker 'il cavallo super' (the super horse) was if anything understated.

Trained by Ugo Penco and ridden by Enrico Camici he won all 16 races he contested from two to four years old.

The most notable victories were his two Arc wins.

He was bred by Federico Tesio, who went from being orphaned at the age of six to being widely regarded as the greatest single figure in the history of Italian racing. Sadly he would never see Ribot win either of his Arcs, as he died in May 1954.

Ribot had yet to race outside Italy until his first tilt at the Arc in 1955 -- he showed few nerves at the unfamiliar surroundings, coasting to a three-length win.

A year later he was a one-horse show, his 19 rivals unable to cope with his brilliance as he romped home by six lengths in front of 100,000 spectators.

"This little one will be somebody some day; he is full of quality," Federico had remarked to his wife Lydia when Ribot turned two -- he proved to be spot on.

Alleged (IRL) 1977/78

Until Daryz's victory on Sunday, Alleged was the last colt to have done the double.

Ribot died in 1972 but his great grandson Alleged showed the brilliance remained in the genes as he emulated his achievement.

He was helped in his endeavours by two legends of the sport, Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien and his English jockey Lester Piggott.

Unlike Ribot he did not retire with an unbeaten record -- his only reverse in 10 races came in the English St Leger a month before his first Arc victory.

Piggott had taken some flak for the St Leger defeat but he redeemed himself with a stunning ride as he led the 25 rivals from pillar to post beating New Zealand star Balmerino by over a length.

Like Ribot, Alleged bowed out the next year by adding a second Arc, this time winning by two lengths. "He was one of the best half dozen horses I ever rode," Piggott said.

Enable (ENG) 2017/18

Frankie Dettori was used to bouncing back and having been spurned by the trainer of Treve -- who had done the double in 2013/14 -- he found joy with another filly, Enable.

Trained by John Gosden -- who had thrown Dettori a lifeline in 2015 after he had earlier served a six-month suspension for failing a doping test -- Enable carried all before her as a three-year-old.

She justified her odds-on favourite status in the 2017 Arc, which was run at Chantilly as Longchamp was being refurbished, collecting her sixth big prize of a lengthy campaign.

Back she came the following year, this time to Longchamp, but having been restricted to one race due to injury.

Sheer guts got her over the line for her second win, holding off the fast-finishing Sea of Class.

She returned for that historic third win, and went agonisingly close in finishing second in 2019 but the legs had gone when she finished sixth in 2020.

Dettori rode many outstanding champions down the years but he told AFP Enable "had taken him to places emotionally he had never been before."

P.Thomas--SFF