In the world of horse racing and the equine world in general, there are numerous individuals who play an important role in taking care of a horse’s growth and development, ensuring its well-being, and training it in preparation for competitions. These roles are carried out by a range of professionals, from breeders, trainers and vets, to blacksmiths, stablehands and jockeys. As well as having a shared passion for horses, these individuals also have the knowledge and competencies required to successfully interpret the psychology of a horse. This is the essence of Team Botti’s approach.
The Botti family has been a leader in professional horse training in Italy since 1973. Initially this was thanks to Alduino and Giuseppe, and more recently through the guidance of Stefano. The skill of horse training cannot simply be learnt from books. It is a profession that also calls for a critical eye and a commitment to on-track training and developing new approaches. Training is all about the development of a horse’s natural abilities and the strengthening of its galloping. With this in mind, the first step for a trainer is to study the physical and psychological qualities of a horse in order to define a personalised training programme.
The first stage of training aims to improve a horse’s endurance, whilst strengthening its tendons and joints. At a later stage the focus is on a horse’s speed and abilities. It is crucial to define set time frames, to carefully select the ground material on which a horse trains, and to increase a horse’s load on a gradual basis. Each training element must be repeated an infinite number of times. Being a trainer means making a lot of sacrifices: from always being present on the track, to ensuring that all tasks are carried out correctly – morning works that normally begin at around 6am every day. Furthermore, trainers must also be receptive to signs of a horse’s unease or exhaustion. A race that lasts only a few minutes requires months of training and should be followed by an appropriate recovery period. Thus, it is fundamental for the trainer to clearly define a horse’s training programme and in addition to coordinate race tactics with the jockey prior to every race. To sum up, a horse trainer is an athletic coach.
The family structure of team Botti, which is comprised of a group of individuals working towards the same goal, has evolved over time and has seen the sons of Giuseppe and Alduino themselves embark on a career as trainers (See “History” page for further details).
Currently team Botti is represented in Italy by Stefano Botti, who, with the help of his father Alduino, is responsible for rearing the horses. Giuseppe and Alduino are in charge of the running of the stud farm (razza del Velino).
Stefano plays a pivotal role in Team Botti in Italy. Having managed approximately 120 horses at the private training centre in Cenaia for 12 years, in 2011 he became a professional horse trainer.
Meanwhile in Milan, Alduino dedicates himself to taming the foals and address their first steps to horse racing path. Most of the foals come from our own stud centre in Razza del Velino. Once they have reached the required level of physical and psychological maturity, they normally get transferred to Cenaia, where Stefano continues their training and development in preparation for races.
At present Team Botti employs about 70 people who work in Milan and Cenaia. Thanks to our employees professionalism and great passion for horses, all training activities are carried out to the highest standards. They also ensure the wellbeing of the horses and the upkeep of our facilities.
Colors of our stables
The Dioscuri stables
Team Botti is also renowned for its ownership of horses. Indeed, we own some of the horses trained by Stefano and that is why they wear the colours of the Dioscuri when they race. In many cases these horses are also reared by us at Razza del Velino or the Deni stud farm. The colours of the Dioscuri stable are those of the Italian flag: our jacket is red and white stripped with green cuffs and our cap is red, as can be seen in the photo. Over the last few years, horses of the Dioscuri stables have achieved excellent results. To name just a few of the Dioscuri champions: Sneak a Peak, Duck Feet, Smoking Joe, Mister Sandro and many more.
The Stefano Botti stables
Team Botti is also represented by the colours of Stefano Botti’s stables, in addition to those of the Dioscuri stables. In fact Stefano has maintained the same stable colours he used when he was a gentleman rider. The colours of the stables are blue and orange, as you can see in the photo.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
And the other members of the Botti family?
In 2009 Alessandro decided to undertake a career as trainer in Chantilly in France where he manages approximately 50 horses together with his father, Giuseppe. For further details please visit: www.ecuriebotti.com
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Since 2010, having ended his amazing career as a jockey, Endo now works as a trainer at Razza Latina, near Pisa.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
After working as an assistant for a few years amidst the top trainers of the English turf, Marco made the step of opening stables at Newmarket, home of the English thoroughbred at the Green Ridge Stables. Recently Marco moved to a new structure at Newmarket (Prestige Stables) and manages around 100 horses. For more information: www.marcobotti.co.uk