A ‘Riveting’ win for Scott

THE Des Scott bred and part owned Rivet (IRE) stepped up as a potential Classic contender when winning the final Gr 1 of the British and Irish racing season, the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday.

Under a superb ride by Andrea Atzeni, the William Haggas trained Rivet led from start to finish, comfortably holding off the challenge of race favourite Yucatan in the closing stages to win by 1.75 lengths. Rivet, a two-year-old Fastnet Rock colt out of the Galileo mare Starship (IRE), is owned by The Starship Partnership, a veritable who’s who in racing, consisting of Scott, Lester Piggott, who bred Rivet’s dam and Messrs Tabor and Magnier. It was the colt’s third victory and his first Gr 1 success after claiming victory in the Gr 2 Champagnes Stakes in September. It is likely that the QIPCO 2000 Guineas (6 May 2017 at Newmarket) will be the colt’s next target. Maureen Haggas, wife of trainer William and Piggott’s daughter commented: "The Guineas is an obvious target but we will wait and see how he comes through the winter, what the weather is like and all that sort of thing and Dad will talk it over with John and Michael before anything is decided.

“He clearly stays the mile well, and as he is out of a Galileo mare he'll probably stay a mile and quarter but you can't tell from his work at home how far he will stay”

It was Azteni’s fourth Racing Post Trophy victory, thus becoming the first jockey to win a British Gr 1 four times in a row. Atzeni, who was also in the saddle for the Champagnes Stakes, was delighted with the colt’s performance. “The further he went the better he was and he hit the line strong. He’s definitely going the right way and will be a stronger horse next year.”