MARCO BOTTI SEEKING CONSECUTIVE HONG KONG VASE WINS WITH GIAVELLOTTO
Newmarket-based trainer Marco Botti will be chasing further Hong Kong riches this December when he lines up GIAVELLOTTO in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase, one year on from his triumph in the race.
He will aim to become the third horse to earn back-to-back wins in the race and add to his earnings of £2,574,888. The consistent six-year-old has only raced out of the prize money once in 22 races.
Giavellotto was a convincing winner of the Hong Kong Vase last year triumphing by two and a half lengths. He then debuted his 2025 campaign Dubai World Cup night in April where he finished fifth in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic.
The gelding returned home and raced third behind JAN BRUEGHEL and CALANDAGAN in the Group 1 Coronation Cup before scoring a Group 3 contest in September after a short break. His last run was in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe where he ran impressively to finish fourth.
Italian-born trainer Marco Botti has been training in Britain since 2006 and has won Group/Graded races in Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, the UAE and the USA since then. He has also won races in Bahrain and finished third in the 2012 Group 1 Melbourne Cup with JAKKALBERRY.
Botti spoke to Great British Racing International (GBRI) about his decision to roll the dice again at the Hong Kong International Races:
“Giavellotto ran a great race in the Arc. It was well documented that we were concerned with the soft ground and we know he wants good to firm ground so in the circumstances it was a terrific run.
“He came out of the race well and we had time to freshen him up. Hong Kong has been his target all year and everything has gone smoothly. He travelled well over the weekend and has been doing well there. He cantered this morning and looked in good form. Our travelling team is very happy with him.”
Reflecting on the win last year, he said:
“Last year we went there with the view to run well and came back as the winner. I would say it was one of the best wins I have had in my career, so we are looking forward to trying again this year. If we were to win again this year it would be another dream come true moment.”
Giavellotto is co-owned by owner-breeder Miss Francesca Franchini of Scuderia La Tesa in Italy and Mr Vaibhav Shah, an Indian-born Dubai resident who also owns top performer PRINCE OF INDIA with Botti.
Talking of the international owners involved, Botti added:
“He is a very special horse for the owner-breeder Francesca. She is very attached and very sentimental about Giavellotto. And Mr Shah has also had a fabulous time owning Giavellotto and has been a lucky owner. You can only dream to have a horse as good as him. He has taken us to some amazing places. We really enjoyed racing him over the last years.
“We have always been keen on racing our horses internationally in the USA, Canada, the Middle East, Australia and Asia and it’s always a pleasure to have owners from different countries as well. We have owners from all those parts of the world as well as European owners, especially Italy and they enjoy travelling with their horses when we have the suitable ones to target the important global meetings.”