Dewhurst the next stop for National hero Zavateri

Eve Johnson Houghton’s stable star Zavateri will put his unbeaten record on the line in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes before setting his sights on next year’s 2000 Guineas.

The Without Parole colt continued his burgeoning career by edging out Aidan O’Brien star Gstaad by a head to secure the second Group One of Johnson Houghton’s career in the National Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

There was a moment of concern when a stewards’ inquiry was called after the race, but Zavateri held on for his fourth successive victory and third in Pattern company.

“He’s great, he was back home by five o’clock this morning. When I went to see him at half past five, (he had his) head in the manger,” the Woodway Stables handler said on Monday.

“He’s lost a bit of weight, but that’s only to be expected as he’s had a ferry journey there and back, but he looks great.

“Well I did (worry when the inquiry was called). I couldn’t see why they’d take it off him and everyone kept saying ‘of course you’ll keep it’, but it seemed to go on for a very long time. I keep thinking ‘did it really happen?’. Yep, it did!”

Zavateri, who also triumphed in the July Stakes and Vintage Stakes this summer, hopes to grab his second Group One crown in his campaign finale at Newmarket on October 11 before targeting Classic success next season.

“It wasn’t his ideal conditions (in the National Stakes), but it probably wasn’t anyone’s ideal conditions and they all had to run in it,” Johnson Houghton added.

“They were two and a half seconds faster than the fillies’ race (Moyglare Stud Stakes). It takes some doing, winning four from four and two Group Twos and a Group One. It takes a special horse to do that.

“I’ll go on holiday, he’ll put his feet up and then we’ll regroup and start again. He won’t go anywhere after the Dewhurst. He’ll have a winter break, then all eyes on the Guineas after that.”

Havana Hurricane was also in Group-race action for Johnson Houghton in recent days, finishing fourth behind the impressive Revival Power in the Flying Childers at Doncaster on Friday.

Winner of the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot, the Havana Gold colt will now step up to six furlongs for the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket at the end of the month.

“He’s in great form, he came out a little stiff, so we were thinking of backing him straight up to the Mill Reef, but we are going to give him an extra week and we might go to the Middle Park. See what that looks like,” she said.

“He just couldn’t go the early pace, that’s probably why he’s stiff, but he finished (strongly).

“If you look at all these things now, he was first in top speed throughout the entire race – he was the fastest in the last furlong and fastest run-out.

“Whether he tweaked something in the stalls – I know he’s always slow, but he was really slow – so whether he tweaked something I don’t know, but we’ll make sure he’s OK and if he’s OK then possibly Middle Park. Also six furlongs will help him travel better into the race.”