Criquette Head-Maarek  trained Treve silenced her critics with a remarkable return to form en-route to a back-to-backG1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes on Sunday at Longchamp, France. The daughter of Motivator became only the seventh to achieve such a feat and the first since Alleged in the year 1978.

The heroine of last year’s Arc was not among the fancied runners for this year’s renewal, sent off at 14-1 in comparison to the short price last October following a disastrous showing in three races this year. Ridden by Thierry Jarnet, the filly took keen hold along the rails in mid-field early, in contrast to her run last year where she was made to run from the outside. Moving smoothly to track the leader Montviron as they approached the final turn Treve reproduced her Signature turn of foot to end her remarkable career in the most magnificent manner. Jockey Thierry Jarnet lifted his hand to acknowledge the roaring adulations that erupted from the stands as Treve went past the winning post. Flintshire chased the winner without much hope in the last furlong to be second two lengths away. Taghrooda was third another 1 ¼ lengths adrift.

“I’ve heard so many things, but today she has proved that she’s come back to her best,” commented an emotional Criquette Head-Maarek. “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.”