Unsatisfactory scope scuppers Giavellotto's Newmarket defence

South Wales Guardian

3 days ago

Marco Botti's stable star was a decisive winner of the Group Two feature on the opening day of the July Festival last season and rounded off his campaign with top-level success in the Hong Kong Vase.
Having finished a creditable third in last month's Coronation Cup at Epsom, Giavellotto was being readied to defend his crown on the July Course before being scratched on Friday morning.
Explaining his absence, Botti said: 'We scoped this morning, he had a few coughs and we weren't happy with the scope. Tomorrow (Saturday) he was meant to be doing a piece of work and we felt he wasn't going to be 100 per cent.
'It's disappointing because this race has been in my mind for a long time and there's not many left in the race, but on the other hand the horse's welfare comes first and if we feel he's not going to be 100 per cent, there is no point in going to the races.
'These things normally just take a few days and then they are OK and it's just unfortunate that we're so close to the race and were meant to gallop the horse tomorrow. We just felt it's not the right thing for the horse to gallop with a little bit of infection, but I'm sure it will clear up soon.'
Botti is unsure where Giavellotto will make his next appearance, with a return to Sha Tin in early December top of his agenda.
The trainer added: 'We have made an entry in a Group One in Germany in August and long-term we would obviously like to run him in Hong Kong, so we'll work backwards from that.
'As the season goes on into the autumn another thing we have to bear in mind is the ground, because he doesn't want it soft.
'He has an entry in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but we made that entry a long time ago and I would say at this stage it's not a race we'll probably go for. All the other options will be considered and Hong Kong would be the priority basically.'
A small field is guaranteed for the Princess of Wales's Stakes, with Charlie Appleby leaving in Arabian Crown and El Cordobes and John and Thady Gosden confirming both Military Academy and Palladium.
The other contenders are James Owen's Wimbledon Hawkeye and the Clive Cox-trained Ghostwriter, who was last seen finishing third behind Godolphin's globetrotting star Rebel's Romance in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Six entries have been made for the Group Three Bahrain Trophy, including Aidan O'Brien's pair of Galveston and Scandinavia, with the former of particular interest after finishing third in the King Edward VII Stakes at the Royal meeting.
Andrew Balding's Furthur, who came even closer to Ascot success with a close-up second in the Queen's Vase, also features.
Nine juveniles are in the mix for what looks a strong renewal of Kingdom of Bahrain July Stakes.
Appleby could saddle Norfolk runner-up Wise Approach and the unbeaten Maximized, while Ed Walker's Do Or Do Not also brings strong form the table having finished second in the Coventry Stakes.
O'Brien's sole representative is Curragh maiden winner Brussels, with Eve Johnson Houghton's Salisbury scorer Zavateri, Paul and Oliver Cole's impressive Goodwood victor Jel Pepper and Hugo Palmer's dual winner Tricky Tel others of interest.