by Laura Valdesi
SIENA
“Is Tittia coming back to Fontebranda? I had declared before the Palio that Giovanni was one of the options, if we had a good horse. And so it was and he did not hesitate to come to the Oca”, reveals captain Stefano Bernardini.
What kind of pairing is that between Tittia and Veranu? In this case an expert jockey on an expert horse.
“An expert horse and a jockey, modesty aside, who in terms of physical and mental fitness is the best. Then, as we know, the Palio is special, we’ll see. We’re very happy, of course.”
A return after three Palios won and the last time with the Fontebranda jacket in 2018 on Porto Alabe. For a long time the Goose wanted to reform this pairing.
“As I always said, if Giovanni wanted to wear our jacket, the way was open. There was an opportunity…”
How was it received?
“Very good, a triumph. When the news was announced that Fontebranda would come, he exploded. There were so many people waiting for him because, having ridden for so many years in the Oca, he knows many people and the affection for him has always remained unchanged”.
Is Valdimontone the team to beat?
“Certainly, but there is also the Pantera with a good horse. Then in a lot like this with so many debutants some surprises can also come out”.
The Goose aims to win.
“Yes of course”.
Captain Bernardini had not hidden it, after all.
“I promised that if the opportunity arose we would not back down. Now it’s here and we’re moving forward. Also because Giovanni is a first-rate jockey, if he came to ride it means he believes in the horse. There’s no point in hiding. The Goose, as promised, will try to take this famous penalty kick”.
Unknown debutants?
“Unfortunately, we will have to think long and hard about the choice of horses over the winter. Because it is not possible that the much-maligned captains, out of 103, end up choosing 25 horses. As many as twelve have been removed, it is a big problem and yesterday was a very, very difficult race”.
