Yorkshire Cup winner Giavellotto set to spearhead European assault on Hong Kong's International races

Two-time Yorkshire Cup winner Giavellotto arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday as he prepares to bid for a first overseas success in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Vase at next weekend's International meeting.

The five-year-old is a rare runner for Marco Botti in Hong Kong, where he will be reunited with his usual rider Oisin Murphy in the 1m4f race in which there promises to be a strong British and Irish turnout.

Giavellotto will revert to what Botti thinks is his best distance in the Vase, having been last seen tackling 1m6f when third to Kyprios in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh in September.

Botti said: “Giavellotto has arrived in Hong Kong with the other British runners and we're looking forward to seeing how he gets on back at a mile and a half. 

"Last time in Ireland Oisin didn’t think he quite lasted home as well over the longer trip, so we’ll take a chance and drop back. There is sure to be a fast pace on, which should suit his running style.”

The chestnut enjoyed a productive summer in Britain with successive wins in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup in May before his most important success at the same level in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket in July, when defying a penalty to account for Juddmonte pair Arrest and Time Lock.

The trainer added: “He’s been a solid performer all year and goes there a relatively fresh horse having not run since September. This will be his swansong for the winter, although we could look at Dubai World Cup night in March.”

European runners have won the Vase five times in the last ten years, including French-trained Junko last year, and Giavellotto is 6-1 third favourite for a race in which he will be joined by the William Haggas-trained Dubai Honour as well as Aidan O'Brien's duo, Luxembourg and Continuous.

Botti said: “Andrea Atzeni is out in Hong Kong and has ridden the horse before, but Oisin has struck up a good partnership with him and we're happy to keep that going.”

Hong Kong Vase (Sha Tin, December 8)
bet365: 3 Without A Fight, 7-2 Stellenbosch, 6 Dubai Honour, Giavellotto, 7 Marquisat, Pradaria, 8 Luxembourg, 12 Iresine, 14 Ensued, 18 bar

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