The Yorkshire Cup was the feature race on the third and final day of the Dante Meeting at York this year. It was won by Giavellotto for trainer Marco Botti. The Italian has had a difficult two years in the sport, but this win gives him a lot to look forward to now this season.
Andrea Atzeni and Giavellotto winning the Yorkshire Cup for Marco Botti @yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/eWxwgwDMQQ
— PA Racing (@PAracing) May 19, 2023
Giavellotto finished the 1m6f contest strongly under the hands of jockey Andrea Atzeni. He hit the front with one furlong to go, and although Eldar Eldarov was closing fast, he was able to hold on for a half-length success.
The Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse is a race that could be his primary target now. He is +3300 in the racing betting for that race in November. Cross Counter was the last British-based horse to win that race in 2018.
Botti has ruled out a shot at the Ascot Gold Cup, but the Royal Ascot feature is a race the York runner-up Eldar Eldarov is likely to feature in. He has Royal Ascot odds of +400 for the day three contest.
Last season’s St Leger winner will appreciate the step up in distance for the Ascot Gold Cup. The four-year-old won the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot in 2022. With an official rating of 116, Roger Varian’s runner is now rated as one of the highest stayers in Europe and his connections will be hoping there is more to come from their horse.
Defending Champion out of Royal Ascot
Earlier this season, Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien revealed that last year’s Ascot Gold Cup winner Kyprios has been ruled out of the opening half of the Flat season. It means he will not get a chance to defend his crown at Royal Ascot.
Kyprios dominated the stayers’ division in 2022, with wins also coming in the Goodwood Cup, Irish St Leger, and Prix du Cadran. The latter was a 20-length success at Longchamp on his final start of the campaign.
🏇 Pure perfection from Ryan Moore as the globetrotting Broome, trained by Aidan O’Brien, sweeps aside the opposition in the Dubai Gold Cup in course record time.@Ballydoyle | @coolmorestud | @RacingDubai | #DWC23 pic.twitter.com/qKOV8RqT7J
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 25, 2023
O’Brien holds the record for the most wins in the Ascot Gold Cup. The Ballydoyle man has been successful eight times and his hopes of a ninth victory this year could rest with Broome. The seven-year-old won the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan earlier this season.
Broome will need to improve on his fourth-place showing in the Yorkshire Cup behind Giavellotto and Eldar Eldarov. The Irish horse was well placed for a challenge inside the final couple of furlongs, but he could not get on terms with the winner.
If Broome does line up at Ascot, it will be his first attempt at the 2m4f distance. The majority of the runs in his career have come around the 1m4f distance. However, he emerged as one of O’Brien’s best prospects in this division when he stayed strongly over 2m on Dubai World Cup evening.
The 2023 Ascot Gold Cup takes place on June 22. The winner of this race will then look to complete a big race double at Glorious Goodwood just weeks later in the Goodwood Cup.
