included Roberto, Rheingold, Scottish Rifle, Hard To Beat (Prix du Jockey Club), Parnell (runner-up in the race in 1972 and winner of the Irish St Leger) and Weavers' Hall (Irish Derby). Dahlia was in tenth place on the inside entering the straight but then wove her way through the field to take the lead just inside the last quarter mile. She accelerated away from her male opponents in the closing stages and won by six lengths from Rheingold. Her margin of victory equaled that of Mill Reef in 1971 and the winning time of 2:30.43 was a record for the race. Timeform commented "seldom can a top-class, hotly-contested, weight-for-age race have been won as impressively". Autumn After a break of six weeks Dahlia returned in the Prix Niel at Longchamp on 9 September in which she was matched against the Grand Prix de Paris winner Tennyson. She beat Tennyson by half a length, despite being eased down by Pyers in the closing stages. Dahlia's third clash with Allez France in the Prix Vermeille saw her start a slight favourite ahead of her rival in a field which also included Virunga, Gay Style and Hurry Harriet. Allez France won while Dahlia finished the race lame in fifth place, having sustained an injury to her left hind leg. Despite struggling to recover from her injury she was allowed to run in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on 7 October but never looked likely to win and finished sixteenth of the twenty-seven runners behind Rheingold. For her final run of 1973, Dahlia was sent to the United States for the 22nd running of the Washington, D.C. International at Laurel Park Racecourse on 10 November. The other European challengers were Scottish Rifle, Hurry Harriet, Card King (fourth in the Arc) and Acacio d'Aguilar (Preis von Europa), whilst the "home team" comprised Tentam (the 7/10 favourite), Big Spruce and London Company. After being restrained towards the rear of the field until the straight, Dahlia produced a strong late run on the outside and took the lead in the final furlong. She drew away in the final strides to win by two and a quarter lengths from Big Spruce, with Scottish Rifle in third, becoming the first female horse to win the race. After the race Zilber was asked to compare Dahlia to the American champion Secretariat and said "She could beat Secretariat any day