Giavellotto's victory in the Hardwicke Stakes was a story of patience and perseverance for Oisin Murphy but it was a race that fellow rider Christophe Soumillon will want to forget.
Murphy, the five-time British champion jockey, regularly chases Ryan Moore in the race to be leading rider at Royal Ascot but it took him until the fifth and final day and the 26th attempt to get off the mark.
When he asked, it was an old friend who answered. Murphy had already teamed up with Marco Botti's star to win the Yorkshire Cup, Princess of Wales's Stakes and Hong Kong Vase, and this time the pair landed a race that was a Group 1 in all but name.
Giavellotto settled kindly in a packed field and was able to produce his trademark sustained lunge on his favoured fast ground after he peeled on to the back of Kalpana at the top of the home straight.
It looked for a moment as if Juddmonte's mare was about to add a third Ascot win to her two Group 1 victories in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, but this time the short-head photo-finish fell Murphy's way. For Soumillon, meanwhile, there was misery as a lost iron close home meant Goliath's strong run alongside the leading pair petered out.
"Iâve been lucky in years gone by, last year and in 2021, where I felt like I could win on anything," Murphy said. "I didnât get that feeling this year, but I kept the same routine and the same amount of homework and hoped it would click.
"I managed to remain positive just by keeping perspective. Weâre lucky as riders to be able to do this, lots of people canât walk and talk and I just kept reminding myself of that."
Giavellotto's previous four races had taken him to France, Hong Kong, Qatar and Dubai, but this was his first success since he beat Kalpana in the September Stakes at Kempton last season. It was a glorious homecoming.
"He's a legend," Murphy said. "Heâs a beautiful horse and he behaved perfectly. I was looking forward to him, I just thought heâd be a shorter price. When I was looking at the form, I thought heâd be second or third favourite.
"I know him very well, which is a help. It was a strong renewal, the Hardwicke has a lot of history, and Iâm delighted he was able to run to such a high level. He had a good, even pace to run at and we followed the right horse in Kalpana. It was smooth and in any horse race if itâs like that you have a chance."
Murphy was not content to bask in the glory of Giavellotto, though, and there was a swift mention of the one who got away in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes.
"Friendly Soul was a winner I left behind," Murphy admitted. "I donât like leaving races behind me and she was definitely one as she got knocked over out of the gate."
Thankfully there were no such issues this time and the seven-year-old Giavellotto battled to win his sixth major race, following in the footsteps of another popular veteran in Rebel's Romance last year.
"He never lets us down," Botti said. "That was a fantastic result. The team have done a good job and Oisin gave him an unbelievable ride. We came here thinking he'd run well, but we all know the race has Group 1 quality.
"Oisin was saying before that he'd had a few places but he was waiting for the win and it's great for him. It's a long week and to have a winner is important for everyone."
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Murphy, the five-time British champion jockey, regularly chases Ryan Moore in the race to be leading rider at Royal Ascot but it took him until the fifth and final day and the 26th attempt to get off the mark.
When he asked, it was an old friend who answered. Murphy had already teamed up with Marco Botti's star to win the Yorkshire Cup, Princess of Wales's Stakes and Hong Kong Vase, and this time the pair landed a race that was a Group 1 in all but name.
Giavellotto settled kindly in a packed field and was able to produce his trademark sustained lunge on his favoured fast ground after he peeled on to the back of Kalpana at the top of the home straight.
It looked for a moment as if Juddmonte's mare was about to add a third Ascot win to her two Group 1 victories in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, but this time the short-head photo-finish fell Murphy's way. For Soumillon, meanwhile, there was misery as a lost iron close home meant Goliath's strong run alongside the leading pair petered out.
"Iâve been lucky in years gone by, last year and in 2021, where I felt like I could win on anything," Murphy said. "I didnât get that feeling this year, but I kept the same routine and the same amount of homework and hoped it would click.
"I managed to remain positive just by keeping perspective. Weâre lucky as riders to be able to do this, lots of people canât walk and talk and I just kept reminding myself of that."
Giavellotto's previous four races had taken him to France, Hong Kong, Qatar and Dubai, but this was his first success since he beat Kalpana in the September Stakes at Kempton last season. It was a glorious homecoming.
"He's a legend," Murphy said. "Heâs a beautiful horse and he behaved perfectly. I was looking forward to him, I just thought heâd be a shorter price. When I was looking at the form, I thought heâd be second or third favourite.
"I know him very well, which is a help. It was a strong renewal, the Hardwicke has a lot of history, and Iâm delighted he was able to run to such a high level. He had a good, even pace to run at and we followed the right horse in Kalpana. It was smooth and in any horse race if itâs like that you have a chance."
Murphy was not content to bask in the glory of Giavellotto, though, and there was a swift mention of the one who got away in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes.
"Friendly Soul was a winner I left behind," Murphy admitted. "I donât like leaving races behind me and she was definitely one as she got knocked over out of the gate."
Thankfully there were no such issues this time and the seven-year-old Giavellotto battled to win his sixth major race, following in the footsteps of another popular veteran in Rebel's Romance last year.
"He never lets us down," Botti said. "That was a fantastic result. The team have done a good job and Oisin gave him an unbelievable ride. We came here thinking he'd run well, but we all know the race has Group 1 quality.
"Oisin was saying before that he'd had a few places but he was waiting for the win and it's great for him. It's a long week and to have a winner is important for everyone."
Read these next:
Jubilee Stakes: Almeraq wins thriller at 25-1 after photo-finish with Satono Reve and Joliestar
'This fellow is the next level' - Clive Cox has a proper one on his hands as Orthodox powers clear in the Norfolk
