Giavellotto and Oisin Murphy© Photo Healy Racing
Dual Yorkshire Cup hero Giavellotto bagged another big prize in the form of the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket.
Having successfully defended his crown on the Knavesmire in May, Marco Botti’s star stayer had to shoulder a 3lb penalty when dropping down to a mile and a half in his bid for back-to-back Group Two wins under Oisin Murphy.
Six runners went to post and from the home turn the field split in two, with Giavellotto tracking the Juddmonte-owned pair of Arrest and Time Lock down the centre of the track, while 11-10 favourite Hamish sat in the wing mirrors of Outbox and Maxi Boy closer to the stands’ rail.
While the usually consistent Coronation Cup runner-up Hamish was in obvious trouble with over a quarter of a mile still to race and faded into fourth, 100-30 chance Giavellotto moved menacingly towards the front passing the final furlong marker and found plenty once asked for maximum effort to beat the gallant Arrest by three and a quarter lengths.
Ground permitting, Giavellotto will now bid to secure a first win at Group One level in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh on September 15.
Botti said: “He showed he is not short of speed, especially on a stiff course. There was a genuine pace and we were a little bit concerned about the ground, but I think it has just about dried out enough to be on the soft side of good and it was a nice performance.
“Last year we were campaigning him at two miles and we went to Goodwood. We always felt he stayed well but it was stretching him over that trip. At the same time he has looked a stronger horse this year and we thought he probably has more speed than he did last year.
“Dropping back to a mile and a half was never really a concern I was always confident he would show his best today.
“He started off very early and went to Saudi Arabia and then Dubai, he has been on the go for a while but he enjoys the travelling and takes his work very well. We tend to space his races out a little bit, but at the same time he has definitely matured mentally since last year.
“I would say he is quite versatile, he has won on really fast ground and today he handled a little bit of cut in the ground. As long as it is not too soft, I think he is fine.
“He will go to the Irish St Leger and hopefully we get our ground – obviously it is a time of the year where it could go very soft. That has always been the plan and this was a stepping stone.
“Last year it was good to firm and let’s hope we are lucky.”
