Desert Vixen. Piggott was strongly criticised in some sections of the American press, who felt that he had employed overexaggerated waiting tactics. He responded by saying: "They can't win all the time, they're not machines, you know". 1975: five-year-old season As in the previous year, Dahlia struggled to find her best form in the early part of the season. She finished last of six to Allez France in the Prix Ganay, ninth of fifteen in the Prix Jean de Chaudenay on 19 May, sixth behind Star Appeal in the Gran Premio di Milano. In July she met trouble in running and came home fifth behind Un Kopeck in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. In her attempt to win a third King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, she produced her best effort up to that point in the season despite becoming agitated in the preliminaries and showing a reluctance to enter the starting stalls. Ridden by Piggott and starting at 6/1, she stayed on in the straight and finished third to Grundy and Bustino, ahead of On My Way, Card King, Ashmore and Star Appeal. Dahlia's attempt to repeat her 1974 win in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup saw her start at odds of 7/2 behind the odds-on Grundy with the other runners being Card King, Star Appeal and the outsiders Jimsun and Meautry. Dahlia led from the start, and with Piggott winding up the pace from early in the straight she won easily from Card King and Star Appeal, with Grundy running poorly in fourth. Dahlia's win at York proved to be her only success of 1975. In the Grand Prix de Deauville on 31 August she finished third behind Duke of Marmalade and L'Ensorceleur but was promoted to second when the winner was disqualified. She then finished a close third behind Kasteel and Ramirez when favourite for the Prix du Prince d'Orange on 21 September. In the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, her last race in Europe, she met Allez France for the sixth and final time. She stumbled early in the race and was unable to recover, finishing fifteenth of the 24 runners behind Star Appeal. In late autumn she was again sent to North America and ran twice, starting with a fourth place behind Snow Knight in the Canadian International, in which she was given a great deal of ground to make up in the