Marco Botti and Marco Ghiani enjoyed a glorious homecoming at Capannelle on Monday when teaming up to win the 142nd running of the G2 Derby Italiano with Molveno (Almanzor). Both trainer and jockey were winning the most prestigious race that their home country has to offer for the first time.
Former Joseph O'Brien trainee Heldtoransom (Churchill) raced at the head of affairs through the first part of the 2,200-metre contest, with April's G3 Italian 1,000 Guineas winner Klaynn (Make Believe) for company as Ghiani settled his mount towards the rear of the 18-strong field. Soon after the home turn, Heldtoransom began to backpedal and longshot Crazy Spirit (Phoenix Of Spain) briefly looked the likeliest winner when taking over from Klaynn to lead entering the final furlong. However, Ghiani was gradually conjuring a serious tune out of Molveno, who stormed home down the centre of the track to get the verdict in the final strides, ultimately beating Crazy Spirit by a head as the first two hit the line over a length clear of the rest.
In a clean sweep of the first four places for the Botti family, Marco's brother, Stefano, was responsible for the second and third. His G3 Italian 2,000 Guineas hero Lao Tzu (Kodiac) came out on top in a bob of the heads for the final podium position, edging out his fellow Classic winner Klaynn, who forfeited her unbeaten record for Marco and Stefano's cousin, Endo. Favourite Zauberkonig (Teofilo), trained in Germany by Peter Schiergen, was only sixth in the hands of Tom Marquand.
For Molveno it was a fourth career win and his first beyond a mile, having raced exclusively at that distance in his eight previous starts in Britain. He arrived in Rome after filling the runner-up spot in a three-year-old handicap at Newmarket, just a short distance from Marco Botti's adopted home at Prestige Place.
“I said to his owner Mr Dainotto after Newmarket that you have to have the right horse for this race, a horse who wants really fast ground, and I wasn't concerned with the trip – he's stayed a mile and three [furlongs] at home,” said the winning trainer.
“My main concern was that it is a long way to come here so we tried to plan it so that he had two days in Milan. Everything worked out quite well. You never know until you run but basically, a horse rated 90 can be competitive. So that was my view, I knew he was going to be competitive, it was just a case of whether he was good enough.”
Botti's brother Stefano, the leading trainer in Italy, has won the race five times, while their father Alduino is also a dual winner of the Derby Italiano.
He continued, “I said to my brother, 'You've already won a few, so don't be upset and let me win one.' He won the other main race of the day. This was also the first Derby win for Marco Ghiani and he was quite emotional. He deserves it – he gave him a brilliant ride.”
Botti said that Molveno would be given a break now back in Newmarket before he contemplates further travels for the colt.
“He has had a busy spring and ran in a few races in the winter. He's a good traveller so later in the season we could look at some of those races in Bahrain or Qatar – that's what I've got in my mind.”
Pedigree Notes
Bred by Andrew Black's Chasemore Farm, Molveno is one of two winners from four runners out of the Dubawi mare Clotilde, a three-time winner for William Knight who was also third in the Listed Midsummer Stakes at Windsor. His second dam, the Listed Prix Solitude scorer Mary Boleyn, is herself out of a full-sister to Shy Lady, who gained her biggest success in the Listed Oppenheim-Rennen and is perhaps better known as the dam of the G1 St James's Palace Stakes hero and sire Zafeen.
Newmarket trainer @MarcoBotti wins the Gr.2 Italian Derby! 🇬🇧🇮🇹
The Italian native takes the most valuable race in his home country with @chasemorefarm-bred MOLVENO (GB), bought at @Tattersalls1766 for for Italian owner Maurizio Dainotto's Scuderia Sagam.pic.twitter.com/aeA9lCTNjf
— GBRI (@GBRI_UK) June 2, 2025
Monday, Rome, Italy
PREMIO 142 DERBY ITALIANO-G2, €640,000, Rome, 6-2, 3yo, c/f, 2200mT, 2:14.40, gd.
1–MOLVENO (GB), 128, c, 3, by Almanzor (Fr)
1st Dam: Clotilde (GB) (SP-Eng), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mary Boleyn (Ire), by King's Best
3rd Dam: Bint Kaldoun (Ire), by Kaldoun (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (32,000gns Ylg '23
TATOCT). O-Scuderia Sagam Srls. B-Chasemore Farm (GB).
T-Marco Botti. J-Marco Ghiani. €247,350. Lifetime Record:
9-4-1-1, $318,984. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Crazy Spirit (Ire), 128, c, 3, Phoenix Of Spain (Ire)–Oakley Girl
(GB), by Sir Percy (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK
TYPE. (€27,000 Ylg '23 TATSEP). O-Ssd Sport Racing Arl.
B-Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited (Ire). T-Stefano Botti.
€108,834.
3–Lao Tzu (Ire), 128, c, 3, Kodiac (GB)–Bionic Buffy (Ire), by Dark
Angel (Ire). (€44,000 Wlg '22 GOFNOV; 38,000gns RNA Ylg '23
TATOCT; £16,000 2yo '24 GOFAPR). O-Stefano Botti. B-Noel &
Jack Finegan (Ire). T-Stefano Botti. €59,364.
Margins: HD, 1 1/4, NS. Odds: 10.80, 21.60, 6.50.
Also Ran: Klaynn (Ire), Starnberg (Fr), Zauberkonig (Ger), Tutto Torna (GB), Decorated Royal (Ire), Zagnuc (Ire), Hanting (GB), Tamburo (Ire), Became Good (Ire), Zibibbo (Ire), Cleone Jet (Ire), Loki (Ger), Red Maximus (Ire), Heldtoransom (Ire), Our 'enery (Ire). Click for the SNAI chart & video.
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