Giavellotto building towards return in Germany next weekend

Globetrotting Giavellotto is reported in great shape for his latest international assignment in the Grosser Preis von Baden a week on Sunday, with trainer Marco Botti hopeful Oisin Murphy will be able to resume their winning partnership.

The Newmarket trainer decided to sidestep the Arc with his seven-year-old entire, despite his fourth to Daryz last year, with a trip to Germany for the Group One followed by the Breeders’ Cup or a return to Hong Kong as his end-of-season targets.

Botti said a racecourse gallop on the July course has put him spot on for the mile-and-a-half feature at Baden-Baden, which has attracted 17 entries from Britain and Ireland and three from Francis-Henri Graffard’s powerful French yard.

“Giavellotto had a racecourse gallop on Friday on the July course after the Jockey Club allowed the Group horses to work. It was a nice piece of work without asking too many questions.

“We are on target for next weekend and Baden-Baden, although we wouldn’t want the ground too soft. That is something we will keep an eye on, but otherwise he is in excellent form and we are looking forward to next weekend.”

Murphy has struck up a lucrative relationship with Botti’s stable star, winning five of their nine outings together and pocketing over £1.9million in prize-money, including the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in 2024 and the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last time out, where they beat subsequent King George heroine Kalpana by a short head.

“Oisin knows the horse and that is the plan (for him to ride), but I don’t know yet. Hopefully we will find out soon.”

Botti was on the mark at Newmarket on Saturday with Prince Of India who made up for a string of near-misses in good contests when running away with the Listed Hopeful Stakes over six furlongs.

It was a win that has confirmed in the trainer’s mind that the four-year-old will stick to six furlongs, despite a decent showing over seven when chasing home Coppull in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury the time before.

“Prince Of India had been a little bit frustrating up to Saturday because I thought he ran some good races this year but didn’t get his head in front,” said Botti, who confirmed he had been taken out of the seven-furlong Park Stakes at Doncaster.

“Obviously we ran him back quickly after a good effort in the Hungerford Stakes, but he won well which will be good for his confidence.

“He is definitely a Group horse and has been unlucky. In the July Cup he didn’t have the gap when he needed it. I’m not saying he would have won, but he definitely would have been closer.

“Finally it has just gone his way and hopefully we can build from the weekend and try some good races with him.

“We’ll stick to six now and concentrate on Ascot. He is in on Champions Day and there is a Group Three early October (Bengough Stakes at Ascot on October 3), so we will see what the ground is.

“He wouldn’t want the ground too soft so we just need to monitor a little bit the ground, but that is where we will go.”