Botti (NZ) Rolls Home in Road to Jericho

Botti (NZ) (Jakkalberry) has already raced successfully in Australia, and a supreme display of stamina at Riccarton on Saturday has earned him the opportunity to return across the Tasman in search of further spoils.

The chestnut gelding outstayed his opponents in the $40,000 NZB Airfreight Road to Jericho (3000m), the second of two qualifying races held in New Zealand every spring for the A$300,000 Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool in late November. As sponsors, NZB Airfreight will offer a $5,000 equine airfreight credit for the winner of each qualifying race, should they decide to travel across the Tasman and contest the Jericho Cup.

Botti began his career with a win at Pukekohe as an autumn two-year-old, then headed to Australia, where he was a winner at Geelong and placed at both Randwick and Rosehill. He returned to New Zealand to contest the Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m) in March of 2019 and has remained a consistent performer for Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers through the three years since.

Botti had mixed flat racing and hurdling in the lead-up to Saturday's race, winning on the flat at Waverley on August 21 and September 11 before finishing second in a maiden hurdle at Woodville on October 2.

That schedule had him at peak fitness for Saturday's staying test, in which he was positioned in eighth place in the hands of jockey Tina Comignaghi.

He launched his run coming down the side of the track, moving up into third by the time the field swung around the corner and into the long Riccarton straight.

From there his superior stamina shone through, outfinishing Deels Done (NZ) (Dundeel) and Leitrim Lad (NZ) (Tavistock) and winning by a half-neck.

Botti was bred by Explosive Breeding Ltd and was offered by Novara Park at the 2017 Premier Sale, where he was bought by Phill Cataldo Bloodstock for $100,000. From 39 starts, Botti has now picked up seven wins, nine placings and $169,481 in stakes.

Botti joins the Jo Rathbone-trained Quota (NZ) (Makfi) as the winners of this year's two New Zealand qualifiers for the Jericho Cup, which will be run at Warrnambool on November 27.