Giavellotto Possible For Melbourne Cup

Thursday, August 31, 2023 | 5:18 pm

Updated: August 31, 2023 at 5:28 pm

Horse in pale blue with sheepskin noseband is GIAVELLOTTO with Andrea Atzeni 1st from black and yellow ELDAR ELDAROV 2nd in Boodles Yorkshire Cup Stakes at York 19-5-23. Photo by Martin Lynch / racingfotos.com. THIS IMAGE IS SOURCED FROM AND MUST BE BYLINED "RACINGFOTOS.COM"

Group-winning stayer Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who ran third in the 2022 G1 St Leger, is under consideration for the G1 Melbourne Cup in November, trainer Marco Botti revealed.

A winner of York's G2 Yorkshire Cup S. in May, Francesca Franchini's Scuderia La Tesa flagbearer was fifth in the G1 Goodwood Cup S. in early August, and improved to take third in the G2 Lonsdale Cup S. back at York later that month. Besides the Race That Stops a Nation, the 4-year-old entire holds entries in the Sept. 10 G1 Irish St Leger, and the G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup a month later.

“He is in the Irish St Leger, but we thought by then you don't know what the ground will be,” said Botti. “We are still discussing about the Melbourne Cup and I'm pretty sure we will enter him and then finalise the plans. Otherwise in England it will just be Champions Day as the only goal left for him.”

He added, “I would be in favour [of going for the Melbourne Cup]. The fact he went to Dubai and is a horse who travels well and I also think the track will suit him–it is similar to York, a left-handed track.

“I think he will get in. He won a Group 2 so he should make the cut for the Melbourne Cup, but then it is up to the owners as it is quite an expensive trip to take on and as we know the rules are quite strict before the race. The vetting can be tricky but he is a sound horse.

“If we take that route, hopefully all goes to plan, and I would be in favour if the owner wanted to go.”