The Classic season is rapidly approaching and two key trials await at Newbury on Saturday, as trainers of Zavateri and Touleen their respective chances.
Zavateri was the flagship two-year-old for Eve Johnston Houghton last season, improving strongly throughout the year. The son of Without Parole won four in a row, beginning with a Salisbury Novice in June. He sprung a surprise in the Group 2 July Stakes, the form of which has worked out well. Zavateri then won the Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, before successfully stepping up in the Group One National Stakes.
His progression halted when fourth in the Dewhurst, but he shaped with a considerable amount of promise regardless. Speaking to the Racing Post regarding his form, Eve Johnston Houghton said “He’s in really great form, and a race will bring him on, but he’s ready to run. He’s a brilliant horse to have in the yard. Has everyone caught up to him, or has he kept improving? I’m not sure, but on his work I’m really happy with him.
“I’ve always thought he’s a good horse, but he exceeded our expectations with every race he ran. He stepped up a lot of times; I think he was just showing the effects of two hard races in the Dewhurst.”
Zavateri will potentially come up again Albert Einstein, who’s been provisionally declared this morning. That’ll be no issue for connections, who’ve already swept aside Coolmore powerhouses such as Gstaad last season.
Touleen set for Fred Darling test
Prior to the Greenham, the Fred Darling Stakes opens the card at Newbury and is typically viewed as a trial for the 1000 Guineas. Owen Burrows’ Touleen was disappointing on her final outing last term, but a ‘genuine excuse’ for that suggests we shouldn’t write her off.
Shadwell’s racing manager Angus Gold said: “She seems in very good form and has been working well for the past two to three weeks. Newbury is the obvious place to start her off. It’s just down the road. We don’t particularly want to go to Newmarket just two weeks before the big race. So we’ll go there and see how she gets on.
“She won well twice last year and then obviously disappointed at Newmarket in the Rockfel. But she scoped dirty after that race, she was full of mucus. So I think there was a genuine excuse for that defeat.”
Despite the prominence of speed in the family, Gold stated: “As long as she settles and does everything right, which she does at home – I think there’s every chance she’ll get a mile.”