Equinties - July meeting day 2

Gm Equinauts

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HEADLINE ROUND UP

GUINEAS HORSE?

Is there a 2000 Guineas horse lurking in Eve Johnson Houghton’s yard? Quite possibly.

There was a lot piled up against Eve in the Group 2 July Stakes yesterday. For starters, Godolphin had a red-hot favourite, Ballydoyle also had a representative, and Eve’s contender was by a sire that had never had a Group winner… until yesterday!

Well, those worries were put to bed, as the horse we gambled on debut, ZAVATERI, won the Group 2 July Stakes.

By WITHOUT PAROLE, the well-bought juvenile doesn’t have the most attractive pedigree in the world, but he still won a very valuable Group race, and the contest tends to point towards the Classics next season.

While Eve wasn’t rushing to label him as a potential Guineas horse, she also didn’t rule it out.

She said: “I knew he was good, but I didn't know if he was good enough to win this after only one run, as you could see in the paddock he was very green and looking at the crowds. In a race, however, he is so professional. The form of his debut win at Salisbury hasn't worked out at all but you can only beat what is put in front of you and he's done it again. We have Havana Hurricane, but he's a sprinter and this fellow needs further so they don't work together."

He’s currently 33/1 for the Guineas, and if he gets there, he could be a landmark runner for the stable.

Speaking of Classics, the final one of the season is coming up soon, and Aidan O’Brien has thrown another horse into the equation. That’s because SCANDINAVIA found plenty for pressure to win the Bahrain Trophy, and we now know he stays very well.

Yesterday’s effort perfectly sets up him up for the Leger at Donny, and on the rest of the season, Paul Smith said: “I think the St Leger in England, or Ireland, would be targets and then hopefully he can develop into a cup horse for next year.

“We can plot our way to those nice staying races for the rest of the year. We’ll see how the horses perform over the festivals at Goodwood and York.

“He seems to have improved again since Ascot. Hopefully now we can have some fun with him over these longer distances.”
The July Festival is always a good meeting, and horses like these make it interesting in relation to the rest of the year.

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