Zavateri set for Glorious Goodwood return

Zavateri is on course to make his return to the track in the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, with trainer Eve Johnson Houghton confident he can still make a mark at the highest level.

The Without Parole colt, a Group One winner at two and a promising second in the Greenham at Newbury in April, missed out on a crack the English and Irish Guineas after suffering a minor setback at home.

But Johnson Houghton revealed her stable star, who has won four of his six career starts, is back on the road to recovery and aiming to make a second splash at Glorious Goodwood on July 29.

“It was a very minor setback, but he’s back cantering and he’s fine. The plan is to go straight for the Sussex Stakes,” said the Blewbury trainer.

“I am as confident as I can be that he will come back just as good and he seems in great form, is moving great and is very happy.”

Zavateri was as low as 20-1 for the 2000 Guineas and 10-1 for the Irish version when his spring campaign was interrupted, but if he can regain the form that saw him floor Gstaad in the Group One National Stakes at the Curragh in September, he could yet be set for a fruitful second half of the campaign.

Johnson Houghton added: “We haven’t done any fast work with him, but I would say he is not a hard horse to get fit so I am confident that he is going to come back bouncing.”

Zavateri first announced himself as an exciting talent with a win in a Salisbury maiden in June last year before going on to Group Two success at Newmarket and Goodwood, and at the top level in Ireland.

Johnson Houghton is keeping her fingers crossed lightning might just strike twice, having saddled Flying Pirate to win the same Salisbury race three weeks ago.

The Blackbeard colt heads back to the same track on Tuesday in a bid to double his tally.

“We are creatures of habit aren’t we, but Flying Pirate really is a lovely colt, really nice. He is a bit more raw than Zavateri – that one was more switched on than him – but we are holding high hopes,” the trainer added.

“Whether he’s as good as him, I don’t know, but we hope so. We think he is a nice horse and we think he learnt on the job there first time.”

Another colt heading from Woodway Stables to Glorious Goodwood is Coventry Stakes fourth Night In Vegas, with the trainer reporting the Lucky Vega colt will be ready to go again soon.

“Night In Vegas has come out of Royal Ascot really well and we are very happy with him, so I think we will probably go to Goodwood,” she said. “I don’t think we will go via Newmarket (July meeting), but we will keep an eye on it.”