Zavateri bouncing ahead of Champions Day swansong

It is full steam ahead to Qatar Racing British Champions Day with Zavateri, where Eve Johnson Houghton hopes her star colt can pull off the perfect swansong.

A top-class juvenile last year when he bagged a Group One in Ireland along the way, a setback curtailed any Classic and Royal Ascot dreams ifollowing a good comeback in the Greenham.

However, he has been kept up to his work with some high-ranking assignments since his return, running with credit behind Bow Echo and Notable Speech respectively when fifth in both the Sussex and City of York Stakes, before making the drop to Group Two company count when landing the Celebration Mile.

Set to head to Tally-Ho stud for a stallion career at the end of the campaign, he is now being primed for one final outing at Ascot in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on October 17, a race for which he is as short as 6-1 in the betting.

Johnson Houghton said: “Zavateri is in great form and did a lovely piece of work on Saturday morning, I’m really happy with him and looking forward to Ascot.

“To see him win at Goodwood last time was fantastic and it doesn’t matter what they do at home, it’s great to see them do it in the flesh on track.

“It’s going to be so sad to see him go, but I’m also happy he’s got a great home to go to and if he’s going to make a stallion, he will make a stallion there.”

Assessing the void Zavateri will leave, she added: “Hopefully Night In Vegas can fill his boots next year with a bit of luck.”