Zavateri remains unbeaten in thrilling National Stakes

Zavateri consolidated his place as the season’s leading two-year-old colt in Europe on Sunday when maintaining his unbeaten record in the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh.

Bred by John Gunther and Ttr Bloodstock, the Without Parole colt is the first foal out of the Siyouni mare Zeroua, who was bought by Avenue Bloodstock on behalf of the Gunthers at the 2021 Arqana December Sale.

Owned by Mick and Janice Mariscotti and trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, Zavateri arrived into the contest having won each of his first three starts, capped by impressive wins in the Group 2 July and Group 2 Vintage Stakes. Held up off the pace by Charlie Bishop, he made smooth progress to challenge the leaders to briefly make a line of four. Coventry Stakes winner Gstaad went with him but Zavateri wouldn’t lie down, answering every call of his jockey to outbattle the favourite with the pair well clear of the third.

“He’s a superstar, he really is,” said Eve Johnson Houghton. “That ground, I don’t think, super suits him

He’s come from a long way back and they have not been finishing from off the pace today.

“Hats off to Charlie. We all went ‘no pressure, no plan, just sort it out as it comes to you’. Oh what a horse he is.

“I went straight to the July [Stakes] from a maiden and everyone said ‘are you mad?’ and I went ‘NO’. He’s just improving and improving and improving. He definitely wants further and as he matures he’ll want further as well.”

Dam Zeroua was bred by Aga Khan Studs and hails from one of their most iconic families as a granddaughter of champion Zarkava.

Following Zavateri’s win in the Vintage Stakes, co-breed John Gunther told the Racing Post: “We tried to purchase some nice mares for Without Parole and, the way I look at it, if you send him a nice mare, he can throw a good horse. That’s really what it’s all about. Hopefully Zavateri can be a game-changer for him.

“It means so much to have Without Parole throw a couple of good horses. For sure it’s not just the financial end of it, it just makes you feel so good planning the matings and seeing the horse do well.

“It’s a great pedigree. I always loved Zarkava; when she won the races she won she was just unbelievable. To have her in that pedigree is really something. When we saw [Zeroua] at the sale in France we were amazed we got her for the price we got her at. I thought she’d sell for quite a bit more so we were really excited about buying her. Sometimes you get lucky.”