Saturday sees one of British racing’s finest international stars add a seventh nation to his global tour. Having already taken connections to the biggest tracks in Britain, Ireland, France, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, the Marco Botti-trained Giavellotto heads to Qatar to tackle the Group 3 H.H. The Amir Trophy.
From Humble Beginnings to the Biggest Stages
Owned by the Italian and Dubai partnership of Scuderia La Tesa and Vaibhav Shah and hailing from a Newmarket yard with strong Italian roots, there is a strong international flavour to Giavellotto’s connections. However, the trainer and owners surely couldn’t have predicted the journey the son of Mastercraftsman would take them on.
Giavellotto has been full of surprises from the moment he first set foot on the track. Making his debut in a Class 5 novice event at Kempton in December 2021, a starting price of 100/1 suggested not much was expected. Giavellotto paid no heed to those odds when overtaking nine of his ten rivals in the straight to cause a huge shock. In the years since, the good-looking bay has proven himself to be significantly better than a Class 5 performer.
Now seven years old, Giavellotto has finished in the first three in 17 of 23 career starts, including eight wins. That consistent level of form has earned £3,136,617 for connections, with six racing jurisdictions contributing to that prize-money haul.
Hong Kong
- Prize Money Earned – £1,913,841.10
Nearly two-thirds of Giavellotto’s career earnings came courtesy of his only two outings in Hong Kong. Heading to the Far East for the first time in 2024, Giavellotto produced the standout performance of his career to claim the Hong Kong Vase.
In a high-class international field, including rivals from Hong Kong, Japan, Britain, Ireland, France, and Australia, Giavellotto cruised into contention before putting the race to bed with a devastating burst of acceleration. Returning to defend his crown in 2025, he again produced a strong finishing effort but had to settle for second behind French ace Sosie.
Britain
- Prize Money Earned – £575,396.10
Despite Giavellotto’s profitable travels, seven of his eight career wins have come on home soil. Following a pair of wins in novice events and one in a Class 2 Handicap, he finished an excellent third in the 2022 St Leger at Doncaster. His breakthrough domestic success then arrived in the 2023 edition of the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup. Sent off as the fifth choice of the six-runner field, he defied odds of 14/1 to master St. Leger champ Eldar Eldarov and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Broome.
Returning to the Knavesmire for the 2024 Yorkshire Cup, he proved in a different league to his rivals en route to an eased-down 4½l success. Similarly impressive wins in the 2024 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket and 2025 September Stakes at Kempton have taken his domestic Group race tally to four.
France
- Prize Money Earned – £235,950.40
Giavellotto’s only appearance in France came in the biggest race on the European calendar. Having mastered leading Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe fancy Kalpana in the September Stakes, he headed to Longchamp to take his chance in the 2025 renewal of the Parisian showpiece. While no match for Daryz, Minnie Hauk, and Sosie, the 37/1 chance again covered himself in glory to finish fourth in the classiest 1m4f turf contest in the world.
Saudi Arabia
- Prize Money Earned – £196,850.39
Giavellotto’s sole trip to the Saudi Arabian track of Riyadh came in 2024. In common with most of his overseas excursions, he ensured connections weren’t left out of pocket. While not managing to win the Red Sea Turf Handicap, he ran a fine race under top weight to pick up almost £200,000 for his third-place finish.
UAE
- Prize Money Earned – £167,622.10
In comparison to his efforts elsewhere, Giavellotto has yet to show his best form in the UAE. In three outings at Meydan, he has fared no better than fifth, with the pick of those efforts coming in the 2024 Dubai Gold Cup.
Ireland
- Prize Money Earned – £46,955.10
Giavellotto’s second Classic outing came in the 2024 Irish St Leger. In what remains his only appearance in Ireland, as of February 2026, he ran a solid race to finish third behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained staying sensation Kyprios and Vauban from the Willie Mullins operation.
Destination Doha for Next International Clash
With over £1.8 million up for grabs, including a shade over £1 million for first place, the H.H. The Amir Trophy presents Giavellotto with an opportunity to add a significant chunk to his prize-money total. However, he isn’t the only international star attracted by the astronomical sums on offer.
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe fifth Byzantine Dream heads a three-pronged attack for Japan, 2024 King George winner Goliath flies the flag for France, while Charlie Appleby bids for a third win in the race with El Cordobes. John & Thady Gosden’s Lion’s Pride completes the seven-runner field but will need a big career best to go close in this company.