Atzeni hoping stage is set for Giavellotto repeat

Andrea Atzeni expects conditions at Sha Tin will again bring out the best in Giavellotto when he defends his Longines Hong Kong Vase title on Sunday.

The six-year-old dropped back from staying trips to win the 12-furlong Group One 12 months ago in the hands of Oisin Murphy, but Atzeni will be in the saddle this time after partnering Giavellotto to finish a fine fourth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on his latest start.

Atzeni had ridden Marco Botti’s charge back in 2023 before moving to Hong Kong and he feels the son of Mastercraftsman is now in his prime.

He said: “In his early days, I remember hitting the front on him at York and he hung left; he was very immature. 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.

“He’s a bit of a free-sweater. He’s not as bad as he was, but if he doesn’t sweat behind the gates, you’d be worried. He’s matured a lot and is more straightforward in his races. I thought it was a brilliant run last time. We had a kind draw and got a nice trip round.

“He’s much better on good or top of the ground and I think he enjoys a flat track. The way he won it last year, he was very impressive. It’s a hot race, very open, you can make the case for most of the horses coming from overseas and even a couple of the local horses too. It’s not a one-horse race, it never is.”

The Joseph O’Brien-trained Al Riffa is key among Giavellotto’s rivals as he moves down in distance after winning the Irish St Leger before carrying top-weight to seventh place in the Melbourne Cup.

O’Brien said: “This was an obvious place to potentially come after the Melbourne Cup. He didn’t have a hard race and came home really good from it, so we were happy to lock it in.

“He’s a seasoned traveller, in actual fact he enjoys it. He’s shipped out here well and we’re hoping for a good run.”

The Arc form is also represented by Andre Fabre’s Sosie, who was just a head in front of Giavellotto in Paris after a campaign that saw him win both the Prix Ganay and Prix d’Ispahan at the start of the year.

Fabre said: “Sosie looks a good fit for this race and he might stay in training next year, we’ll see what Sunday brings.

“The good ground should suit him and the track at Sha Tin is perfect for him. It’s a very fair course and there is usually a strong pace so any horse should be able to show his best form there.”

Francis-Henri Graffard, who has enjoyed a spectacular season, is represented by last year’s King George winner Goliath, who has endured mixed fortunes this term, winning a German Group One on his penultimate start but finishing down the field in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last time.

Graffard said: “The form of the race is very strong but my horse has a very high rating. Everybody knows that when we have the right Goliath, and the race goes his way, he’s a really strong performer.

“If everything goes for him, I think he’s a danger to everyone. If the horse relaxes during the race and has a clear run, I’m not scared of anybody.”