Giavellotto reported ‘in great form’ for Hong Kong adventure

Oisin Murphy has been lined up to maintain his partnership with Giavellotto in the Hong Kong Vase on Sunday, December 8.

Marco Botti’s five-year-old entire enjoyed a fine season, winning the Yorkshire Cup in May and the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting.

He was last seen finishing third to Kyprios in the Irish St Leger but Botti has held the belief for some time that a strongly-run mile and a half could be the ideal scenario for his stable star.

“We had a chat with the owner and they are happy to take a chance. We’ve had a bit of time to freshen him up since the Irish St Leger, he’s in great form and he’ll take his chance,” said Botti.

“Last year, they had soft ground at the meeting, but he does want top of the ground, so hopefully it won’t be soft again.

“Oisin Murphy should be free to ride him, he’s in good order, he’ll do his last serious piece of work this week and then he’ll do something before he flies out next Friday.

“This year has been his best season. Maybe he wasn’t just quite at his best in the Irish Leger. I’m not saying he’d have won, Kyprios is the best stayer, probably in the world, so we take our hat off to him, but saying that, I just don’t think he was at his best for whatever reason.

“He came out of the race fine and we had enough time in between.

“The plan has always been to drop him back to a mile and a half, so Hong Kong looked the right option, a strong pace will suit him.”

Other European interest in the Vase includes King George winner Goliath, who runs in the Japan Cup this weekend, Fantastic Moon and Iresine.

Due to take on Hong Kong’s superstar Romantic Warrior in the Cup is Richard Fahey’s globetrotter Spirit Dancer, Andrew Balding’s The Foxes and Aidan O’Brien’s Content.

Ralph Beckett’s Breeders’ Cup winner Starlust was supplemented for the Sprint, where he will meet much-hyped home hope Ka Ying Rising, while in the Mile, Lazzat, Ramadan and Docklands will meet Soul Rush.