Giavellotto Edges Kalpana for Hardwicke Stakes Win

Giavellotto (IRE)'s victory in the June 20 Hardwicke Stakes (G2) 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 2024 Yorkshire Cup Stakes (G2), Princess of Wales's Stakes (G2), and Hong Kong Vase (G1), 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 favored fast ground after he peeled on to the back of Kalpana (GB) 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 and Mares Stakes (G1), 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 (GER)'s strong run alongside the leading pair petered out, and he finished third, beaten 1 3/4 lengths. 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 (G3) at Kempton Park last season. It was a glorious homecoming. "He's a legend," Murphy said. "He's a beautiful horse and he behaved perfectly. I was looking forward to him, I just thought he'd be a shorter price. When I was looking at the form, I thought he'd be second or third favorite. "I know him very well, which is a help. It was a strong renewal, the Hardwicke has a lot of history, and I'm 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 it's like that you have a chance." The 7-year-old Giavellotto won his sixth major race, following in the footsteps of another popular veteran in Rebel's Romance (IRE) 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."