Botti Eyeing Confidence-Boosting Win for Impressive Four-Year-Old
Newmarket, UK – Italian trainer Marco Botti is weighing up a quick return to action for his promising four-year-old, a son of Wootton Bassett, following a series of creditable performances that suggest a Listed race at Newmarket on Saturday could provide a much-needed confidence boost.
The un-named gelding defied his 80-1 odds to secure a sixth-place finish in last month’s prestigious July Cup, proving that effort was no mere fluke by then finishing as the "best of the rest" behind the formidable Clive Cox-trained Coppull in a Group Two seven-furlong contest at Newbury.
Despite consistently challenging at a high level, the four-year-old has yet to cross the finish line first since his victory on Shergar Cup day at Ascot last summer. This recent dry spell has prompted Botti to consider a tactical drop in class to Listed level, with the aim of putting him back in the winner’s enclosure.
Reflecting on his Newbury run, the Newmarket-based Botti expressed satisfaction despite an element of misfortune. "He ran very well," Botti commented. "It’s a shame they sort of split into two groups and it turned out he was on the wrong side of the track." He acknowledged the quality of the winner, stating, "The winner is a good horse and it probably showed up the form of the July Cup. We were maybe a touch unlucky when we finished behind the winner at Newmarket, but they showed the same form."
Botti highlighted the horse’s suitability for Saturday’s potential engagement. "I was pleased with the run and I would say a stiff six furlongs is probably his optimum trip and he’s actually been entered this morning in the Listed race at Newmarket on Saturday. We’ll track the race and see, but we know he likes the July course and likes fast ground." The trainer added, "We put him in on Saturday because this year he’s not been lucky at all and he’s come out of Newbury bouncing and looks great. He doesn’t have to travel so we said we’d put him in and decide towards the middle of the week."
Rocket Boy Shows Promise
Another Botti inmate to impress recently was Rocket Boy, who confirmed his surprise debut victory at Yarmouth with a strong-finishing third in the Listed Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury. This performance solidified his potential over middle distances.
Trainer Botti was encouraged by Rocket Boy’s staying power. "He definitely showed he stayed a mile and the jockey (Marco Ghiani) felt the ground was a bit loose on top as obviously they’d watered well. He felt he changed his lead a few times early on because of that, but I put it down to inexperience," Botti explained. "Once he got him in top gear he finished strongly, so he’s a nice horse and he will improve again from that run."
Looking ahead, Botti outlined several exciting options for Rocket Boy. "We’ve got a couple of options – we put him in the Royal Lodge (Newmarket) and he’s also in at Doncaster (Champagne Stakes) and there’s the Listed race at Haydock in early September (Ascendant Stakes)." He concluded with a note on ground preferences, "We’ll see which one we go for, but I would say I don’t think he’d want the ground too soft."
Both horses demonstrate the depth and talent within Marco Botti’s yard, with promising campaigns ahead for these exciting prospects. For more details on this story, you can visit the original source at Echo News.
