Super Soumy's century: three of his best top-level successes

Christophe Soumillon partnered his 100th top-level winner on Friday evening when delighting a Bastille Day crowd at Saint-Cloud by getting local hope Shakeel home from the British challenger Permian in a desperately close finish.

His haul includes the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil in 2010 and here are three of the most memorable from the 36-year-old Belgian showman's previous 99.

Zarkava, 2008 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Zarkava went into the Arc unbeaten, following an extraordinary performance in the Prix Vermeille, when she beat Da Re Mi easily despite losing many lengths at the start. She was a red-hot favourite, but after another issue at the start Soumillon soon found himself trapped near the back of the 16-runner field in a hopeless looking position.

However, he held his nerve, and in a race he later described as being like a dodgem ride he weaved the brilliant filly through the pack before angling her out for daylight at the furlong marker to deliver her trademark turn of foot.

Soumillon was ecstatic, punching the air and throwing his helmet into the crowd, and pointing to Zarkava, one of the greatest fillies of modern times who was retired unbeaten afterwards.

Cirrus Des Aigles, 2011 Champion Stakes

Soumillon won five Group 1 races on Cirrus Des Aigles, but the one that will live longest in the memory for most is the Champion Stakes, as much for the furore that followed it as for the fact that it was the hugely popular gelding's first win at that level after plenty of tries.

In beating favourite So You Think by three-quarters of a length, Soumillon had inadvertently fallen foul of complex new whip rules and found himself hit with a lengthy ban and a heavy fine.

Cirrus Des Aigles (stripes) and Enable are two rare top class Flat horses to have won Group 1s at the age of sixCredit: Edward Whitaker

In an extraordinary post-race interview he said he was "very, very, very embarrassed for British racing" and added: "This is 2011, we are civilised people, it's not the 1800s, we can't be treated like this. The rules can change, but not like this, you can't chop our heads and legs off.

"I am not here to whip horses, I'm here to make the horse run his best. These whips are soft and maybe I should have hit him earlier. You're going flat out, there is a huge crowd here and advertising everywhere, how are you meant to see a tiny furlong marker. For the sake of 20 yards, I've been punished and lost £50,000."

Soumillon's fine was rescinded after a hasty rule change.

Almanzor, 2016 Champion Stakes

Soumillon was committed to runner-up Zarak when Almanzor won the Prix Du Jockey Club and the Prix Guillaume D'Ornano, but he had won on him twice before and was on board again for a memorable autumn campaign.

Almanzor's brilliant domestic reputation had not quite travelled abroad when he accelerated off a strong pace to beat Found and Minding in the Irish Champion Stakes, but nobody was underestimating him at Ascot five weeks later.

Almanzor: last year's champion was well beaten on his returnCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Almanzor once again faced Found, who had since won the Arc, as well as Jack Hobbs, My Dream Boat and The Grey Gatsby, yet went off a hot favourite and delivered in the manner of an outstanding mile-and-a-quarter horse.

We've missed Almanzor this year, and so no doubt has Soumillon, but he's on his way back. If he's as good as last year it will be worth the wait.