24-05-2025
Botti upbeat with grey find Presage Nocturne
Spotting that next champion at a horse sale can often be taxing on both the eyes and the brain.
After weeks of pedigree analysis through dictionary-thick catalogues and palpating hundreds of legs at the inspection barn, they all start to look the same.
But, sometimes, all it takes is a simple sibling link to help narrow down your choices.
At the Arqana Mixed sale in February 2023, Alessandro Botti had such a light-bulb moment, which two years later has landed the Chantilly-based Italian trainer a shot at Group 1 glory on May 25.
Lot 4, a grey three-year-old, was ignored by bidders despite being a son of hot sire Wootton Bassett.
Botti, son of legendary Italian trainer Giuseppe, with whom he trains in partnership now, was not too taken either when the nonchalant specimen walked in, but then he saw the dam's name Kyurem.
"He was not very attractive at the time. But I had the chance of training his half-brother Titanium, who was very successful for us (six wins)," recalled Botti.
"That was why I looked at him differently from the others. He was unraced and was going to be broken in and pre-trained.
"He was very immature but, as he was a son of Wootton Bassett, we decided to go for it."
With not much competition around the sale ring, Botti raised only a couple of bids before he secured the gangly grey for a pittance, €12,000 (S$18,000).
Two years on, the entire named Presage Nocturne has recouped his price tag more than 16-fold - around €200,000 earned mostly from five wins, including a first feature at his last start, the Group 3 Prix de Barbeville (3,000m) at ParisLongchamp on April 27.
On May 25 (at 10.28pm Singapore time), he gets a chance to double his takings in the €400,000 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier, a staying 3,100m contest promoted to Group 1 status for the first time in its 166-year-old history.
Presage Nocturne is rated a 10-1 chance to beat the likes of defending champion Sevenna's Knight - who also beat him in third in the Group 3 Prix Gladiateur (3,100m) in September - Godolphin's Dubai Future and even the late Aga Khan's Candelari, despite inflicting him with his first defeat (third) in four starts in the Barbeville.
But Botti said the penny has dropped for the late bloomer, especially after his trip to Saudi Arabia where he ran fourth to Japan's Byzantine Dream in the Group 2 Red Sea Turf Handicap (2,800m) in Riyadh on Feb 22.
"We were very satisfied with his Saudi Arabia performance. He ran fourth from a bad draw," he said.
"Christophe (Soumillon) and I decided we would ride him from the back. We found ourselves hitting the front a bit too soon and he weakened in the end.
"So we've learned we need to ride him a bit more patiently. Since his trip there, he has learned a lot of things and has finally matured."
Connections reaped instant dividends five weeks later in the Barbeville, sparking more overseas plans, even further afield.
"He won the Barbeville which was quite a tactical race. Stephane (Pasquier) rode a superb race, he waited for the right moment to ask him for a finishing effort, and luckily, we won," said Botti.
"The horse is well. The field on Sunday will be strong, but I think all the co-owners are looking forward to running in a Group 1, and hoping it goes well like last time.
"He could have the profile for the Melbourne Cup later on. If that's the case, we'll give him a break after this race so he can come back fresh at the end of the year."
For now, Pasquier is just keen to improve his two-from-two record on Presage Nocturne.
"I also won a Listed race in Deauville with him before, then he ran in Saudi Arabia, which was a bit strong," said the French jockey.
"He's a good horse.We now have to go for the big races."
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