Just about every way you look at it, 2008 has been a most successful year for trainer Marco Botti.
From the moment Bertbrand got the campaign off to a flying start on January 2nd at Wolverhampton, the Green Ridge Stables team were on the front foot. Before the end of January, no less than five victories had been recorded as Botti's string began the year as they meant to continue.
With the year reaching its end, the Italian has sent out no less than 45 winners - an exceptional increase on a respectable total of the 16 recorded in 2007. The strike rate at mid December, was also healthy, standing at 15 per cent.
Another positive was how the horses held their form. In every month from January to November, Marco had at least two winners per month. The best two, months were June and November in which there were six successes respectively.
"I'm absolutely delighted with how the season has gone", said Botti, who only started training in England in 2006.
"Early in the season, if you'd said we'd make it to 35 winners, I would have thought that would have been good, so to get to 45 is very pleasing".
"Raymi Coya managed a Stakes victory at York, but to have made it a really great year, I would have liked to have seen both Re Barolo and Fuilin win at that level too".
After winning a Group 3 as a two year old, Raymi Coya's big day in 2008 arrived in May when she bravely fought her way to victory in the Listed Michael Seeley Stakes at York.
The famous northern course was also the scene of one of Re Barolo's two victories in the year. He took the Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton in March and struck again on the Knavesmire, taking a valuable handicap.
Re Barolo was Listed placed as well, as was Ceremonial Jade, who had another cracking season. The five year old gelding was successful on three occasions in the season, including when he took a high profile Conditions race at Great Leighs Breeders' Cup Trials night.
Fuilin was another to go close in Stakes' company. He won a couple of contests in the style of an improving stayer before finding one too good in Listed company at Newmarket and then finishing his season with a third placed effort in the Group 3 Jockey Club Cup at HQ. Hopefully there will be more to come from him in 2009.
Speaking of next season, fingers crossed that Neve lieve can keep improving as she did through the secong half of 2008. The Dubai Destination filly won three and concluded her campaign with a fourth placed performance in a Listed event at Saint Cloud. Marco is keen for her to earn some 'black type' next term.
The trainer feels that plenty of his two year olds who are about to turn three remain relatively unexposed. The hope is that in among them there may just be a star or two waiting to flourish.
Certainly, there seemed to be plenty of potential in evidence among the Green Ridge juveniles of 2008. Tobond won a couple, while Gitano Hernando and Splinter Cell displayed a good deal of promise in breaking their maiden tags.
And who knows how the current crop of yearlings will turn out? There are plenty of well bred individuals amongst them and hopefully they - and their elder stable mates can provide plenty more good days for Marco and the Green Ridge Stables team in 2009 and beyond.
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