Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre has revealed the 'secret' to Darjina's stunning season that has seen her become the world's highest-rated female performer - her bulky masculine physique.
Don't expect to see any French princess when Darjina moves out onto the track at Sha Tin next week for the HK$16 million Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile, but something a little bit closer to thoroughbred butch.
'She's very strong and heavy, much more like a colt,' De Royer-Dupre said yesterday. 'And I need to work her like a colt.'
The Aga Khan's number one trainer has been putting the finishing touches on Darjina and South African sprinter Tiza, who will be an outsider in the Hong Kong Sprint.
He says that the challenge ahead of Darjina next weekend is rather different to that which resulted in Pride's short-head victory over Japan's Admire Moon in last year's Hong Kong Cup.
'Pride was an experienced, six-year-old mare and her great win at Sha Tin was her 26th race; Darjina is just a three-year-old filly and next Sunday's Mile will only be her eighth start,' he says.
