Rebuilding job well under way and the signs are promising

Marco Botti undertook something of a rebuilding job at the end of last season and the signs over the last month are that it is paying off – especially as the trainer feels his team will get better and better as the year goes on.

Last season's tally of 34 winners was the Italian's lowest since his first full campaign in Britain in 2007, but he is already halfway towards that total and May was his most successful month in two and a half years with seven winners.

Botti says: "We got off to a slow start mainly as we had lacked older horses, which you need to keep the winners ticking along. We got rid of a lot last year and sold many of the best ones [Royal Ascot winner Aljazzi also retired to stud], but they’re all running very well now and if we can build on this we should have a good season. I think we could have some really nice horses who have yet to show their true potential."