Italian Derby: Odds stacked in trainer Botti's favor

Sunday’s Group 2 Italian Derby at Capannelle Racecourse may go to top Italian trainer Stefano Botti by default. He trains five of the 12 runners in the race over 1 3/8 miles on turf.

Botti has a strong team in the Italian Derby, a race that consists largely of Italian-based horses. The race is worth $435,360 to the winner.

Botti’s team includes the stakes winners Biz the Nurse and Celticus. Celticus won the Premio Emanuele Fililberto over about 1 1/4 miles on heavy turf on April 2.

Two major threats to Botti’s team are Best Tango and Fairy Nayef, who were first and second in the Group 3 Premio Parioli over a mile on turf on April 28. Fairy Nayef won a minor stakes at San Siro racecourse on April 7.

The race includes one English import in Boite, a maiden race winner at Pontefract for trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam.

Longshot takes Yorkshire Cup

Glen’s Diamond, a 25-1 outsider, scored a surprise win from the front in Friday’s $212,000 Yorkshire Cup at York Racecourse in England.

Ridden by Tony Hamilton, Glen’s Diamond took the lead after the first furlong and held off a late threat from 11-4 favorite Top Trip to win by a nose. Royal Diamond, who won the Irish St. Leger last September, finished 3 1/4 lengths behind Top Trip in the field of eight.

Cavalryman, the winner of the Dubai Gold Cup on the Dubai World Cup program in March, was scratched.

Glen’s Diamond is a 5-year-old gelding by Intikhab trained by Richard Fahey. The Group 2 Yorkshire Cup was Glen’s Diamond’s first stakes win since the Group 3 Dee Stakes at Chester in 2011. He was second in the 2012 Yorkshire Cup.