Zavateri wins the July Stakes
Zavateri wins the July Stakes

July Stakes joy for Eve Johnson Houghton's Zavateri


Zavateri landed Newmarket's Group Two Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes over six furlongs for the Eve Johnson Houghton yard.

A good ride by Charlie Bishop on the Without Parole colt denied the Ed Walker-trained Do Or Do Not by a length, having been sent off as the outsider of the party at 18/1.

Bishop began to make his move to challenge two furlongs out and hit the front just before the one-furlong marker. Salisbury debut winner Zavateri kept on well to deny the fast-finishing second Do Or Do Not, who was outpaced early on in the £100,000 contest.

The 6/4 favourite Maximised, ridden by William Buick, finished only fifth of the six runners, one place behind his main market rival, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Brussels (9/4).

Zavateri remains unbeaten after his two career starts and is generally available at 33/1 for next year's 2000 Guineas on the Rowley Mile.

He is entered in the Gimcrack Stakes at York's Ebor Festival next month, but may now step up to seven furlongs on his next start.

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Bishop said on Racing TV: “He did what we thought he’d do on debut and he hasn’t done much in between, Eve just likes to tick them over once they’ve run once. Naturally he will improve again.

“I was keen to drop him in at Salisbury. We probably could have jumped and made the running and he’d have just won, but he wouldn’t have learnt anything and I think we taught him as much as we could in the company he was in that day. I’d say he’s got a very good mind and everything you ask him to do he reacts and do so straight away. I always thought he was pulling out a bit more (when challenged).

“I got caught on the wing and had to commit sooner than I wanted to but I thought he found the line really well and he’ll appreciate seven furlongs in time. Next year we could be looking at a mile.

“He’d appreciate a little bit of dig but he’s won on quick enough ground twice now – although it’s lovely ground out there today, good, good to firm, as advertised.”

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Johnson Houghton said: “I knew he was good, but I wasn’t sure if he was good enough to win after one run as he was very inexperienced. You could see in the paddock he was like ‘what is going on, it’s party time’, but in a race he is so professional.

“The form of his race hasn’t worked out at all, but he could only beat what he has beat, but he has done it again. Havana Hurricane (Windsor Castle Stakes winner) is a sprinter and this one needs further.

“You either come here and take on Group horses or you go to a novice where you might have to give weight to a Group horse so I thought we might as well come here and see what we have got. He has got a huge amount of ability.

“I thought we were going to win this (during the race) and we never had a moment's doubt. I love this horse. He has got a great attitude and he just wants to please. He is a dream to train.”

She added: “He is bred to get a mile, but as I tell all my owners you have never heard of Usain Bolt’s brother so what they are bred to do, and what they do aren’t always the same thing.

“I definitely think he wants seven furlongs. He has got no miles on the clock and we will run him maybe once or twice more and maybe go for the Vintage next.”

And a re-match with the runner-up could be on the cards with Walker suggesting that the Vintage Stakes could now be on the agenda for Do Or Do Not.

Walker said: “We were just chatting about Goodwood and I think there you would go seven furlongs for the Vintage rather than the Richmond. It is a shame he has not run a race yet. There is no point running in a maiden as it would be a waste of a run. He is good enough to win a Listed race or Group race somewhere.”


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