Botti eyeing Newmarket outing for Giavellotto

Chris Phillips
May 24, 2024 8:57 am

Irish St Leger the ultimate aim for dual Yorkshire Cup hero.

Marco Botti could look towards Newmarket’s July meeting before pointing Giavellotto at the Irish St Leger, following his exploits in winning back-to-back Yorkshire Cups on the Knavesmire.

The 7-2 shot shook off the challenge of Vauban and Tower Of London in the hands of Oisin Murphy to come home a four-and-three-quarter-length victor, becoming only the third horse to win the race in successive years.

Botti is reluctant to step him up in trip and believes the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot is too far for the son of Mastercraftsman.

Marco Botti is not keen to run xx over two miles — Marco Botti is not keen to run Giavellotto over two miles (Mike Egerton/PA)

Instead his primary target will be the Irish Leger at the Curragh over his favoured one-mile-six-furlong trip in September, provided the ground is to his liking.

Prior to that he will target a run in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes on July 11 at Newmarket to keep on track.

Botti said: “He’s good. He’s taken the race well.

“He seems in good form obviously. We’ll keep him ticking over for a week/10 days, then we’ll see where he is. He’s definitely taken the race quite well.

“We won’t go to Ascot. The Irish St Leger is very much the race we would like to run in, if the ground is not going to be too soft.

“Between the St Leger and now we were thinking that we don’t want to run over two miles.

“I will have to finalise with the owners, but we want to stay at a mile and six.

Giavellotto could target a hat-trick in 2025 (Mike Egerton/PA)

“There isn’t very much at the moment but we’re thinking about the Princess of Wales’s, which is a Group Two at Newmarket in July Cup week. That could be just the race to keep him fresh for the Irish St Leger.”

The Newmarket handler has not ruled out taking the five-year-old back for an attempt to complete a hat-trick in the Yorkshire Cup next season.

Botti added: “It would be nice (to go for the Yorkshire Cup hat-trick).

“Obviously it’s a long time to think about the next season, but I think it would be wonderful for the horse to go back and win it for a third time.”