Giavellotto and Goliath go head-to-head in Hong Kong Vase
LAST year’s LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (6.10am) hero Giavellotto is bidding to defend his crown in the £2.5 million contest at Sha Tin on Sunday, and will face a strong field of 10 rivals, including 2024 Group 1 King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Goliath.
Oisin Murphy rode Giavellotto to victory 12 months ago but Hong Kong-based rider Andrea Atzeni will be in the saddle on Sunday, having partnered the Marco Botti-trained six-year-old to finish fourth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on his latest start.
Atzeni told a packed media conference that Giavellotto’s turn of foot in defeating Dubai Honour in the 2024 Hong Kong Vase had shown the horse in a new light.
“In his early days, I remember hitting the front on him at York and he hung left; he was very immature,” Atzeni said. “In Europe, he never won by very far, so I was actually very surprised to see him pull that far clear here last year.
“He’s just a different horse; he’s mature mentally and over a mile and a half with a good pace, he’s got quicker with age and now shows much more speed.”
Giavellotto was handed a draw in stall six in Thursday’s barrier draw and will reoppose the Andre Fabre-trained Sosie, who finished one place ahead of him in the Arc, as well as fellow French challenger, Goliath.
Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said he was more than happy with gate four for Goliath, who he believes is a different horse to the one who disappointed on his first trip to Hong Kong in April.
“He’s really well now and while he has had far from a perfect season, he could finish off in style,” Graffard said. “He is in terrific form and this week you are seeing the Goliath that we all love to see. He is a happy horse who is moving very well and I’m delighted with him.”
In what looks a deep field for this year’s Vase, just three pounds cover the top five runners in the official ratings.
Connections of most of the main contenders will have been satisfied after Thursday’s barrier draw, though Los Angeles and Ryan Moore must navigate a passage from stall 10 in the first of four top-level contests at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin.
The other leading international challengers are all in single figures, with Al Riffa in stall two, Urban Chic in three and Sosie in stall eight.
Sunday’s 10-race fixture at Sha Tin starts at 4:25am (UK time).