3 minute read

Giavelotto became only the third horse to win two consecutive Yorkshire Cups.

Not only that, this year he did it in race record time, taking off at the 200m and winning by 6 lengths over Vaubad who put in a nice run for second considering this was his first race since November's Melbourne Cup and he could be heading that way again.  Gregory placed third with a solid run with the disappointment being Tower of London who blew the start and never really threatened. 

Giavelotto is trained by Marco Botti and usually was ridden by Andrea Atzeni but he's in Hong Kong so Oisin Murphy got the ride and executed it perfectly.

Saturday's racing moves south to Newbury for Lockinge day.  Firstly we have the G3 Aston Park over 2400m with nine 4yo+ runners lining up.  Even money favourite is Desert Hero who was only just pipped at his last start.  He was third in last year's St Leger and races in the royal colours which will be worn by Tom Marquand.  Next best in the market is Middle Earth 4/1 with the Gosdens putting up Oisin Murphy and on 6/1 there is Salt Bay from Ralph Beckett's yard with Hector Crouch in the irons.

The Lockings is G1 over the straight 1600m and we have an interesting clash between Inspiral for the Gosdens with Kevin Shoemark riding and French raider Big Rock who has very recently changed stables going to Maurizio Guanieri who trains out of Chantilly and who has wisely kept Aurelien Lemaitre as the jockey as he knows the horse and has been able to advise Guanieri.  Both are on 2/1. 

Big Rock has a c&d win in last year's Queen Elizabeth II and Inspiral defeated him in the Jacques le Marois at Deauville last year.  Inspiral has a new jockey this time as Frankie Dettori is in America so Kevin Shoemark gets the ride. Big Rock has finished first or second in all his races and Inspiral has won his last three outings.

Instead of wearing out the brain cell deciding between those two we are going for an each-way on Poker Face, 8/1, for the Crisfords with James Doyle riding.  He has finished either first or second in all his 1600m races.