Eve Johnson Houghton

Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton has ruled Zavateri (Without Parole) out of the 2,000 Guineas and the Irish equivalent after the Group 1-winning juvenile picked up "a minor setback" in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on his return.  The Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes winner finished second behind Alparslan in that return effort, after which plans remained fluid with regards to whether Zavateri would pitch up at Newmarket or not.  However, Johnson Houghton confirmed on Friday that her stable star would be ruled out of the early-season Classics due to the...

In a fairytale ending to one of the key stallion-making races of the season, the judge's photo showed the 35,000gns Without Parole colt Zavateri in front of the 450,000gns buy Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) at the culmination of Sunday's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at The Curragh. Having been 18-1 when swooping in Newmarket's G2 July Stakes and 8-1 when following up in Goodwood's G2 Vintage Stakes, Mick and Janice Mariscotti's Tattersalls October Book 2 bargain was 15-2 this time as Charles Bishop waited patiently for his effort in rear. Showing...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a blue-blooded daughter of Wootton Bassett making her racecourse debut. 5.20 Newbury, Mdn, 2yo, f, 6fT SPLISH SPLASH (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the second foal out of the high-class Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy), who was successful in the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, G2 Debutante Stakes...

"We're enjoying it enormously." Those are words racing needs to hear from every owner.  In the case of Mick and Janice Mariscotti, who have been in the game long enough to have experienced both good days and bad, they know to appreciate a decent one when he comes along, and in Zavateri they look to have just that. "He's by far and away the best two-year-old we've ever had," says Mick of the unbeaten young son of Without Parole, who now has the G2 July Stakes and G2 Vintage Stakes...

The early part of last week was spent covering the JRHA Select Sale in Japan, a trip that is always illuminating, to an auction that remains extraordinary. Number one of the list of most surprising things from the five days spent in Hokkaido was Teruya Yoshida picking up his guitar to serenade guests with a rendition of John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads. An excellent choice of song, well performed. The Shadai Farm principal should be encouraged to form a Travelling Wilburys-style bloodstock supergroup. Bluegrass enthusiast and songwriter Arthur...

Making light work of an honestly-run renewal of Newmarket's G2 Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes on Thursday, Mick and Janice Mariscotti's unheralded 18-1 shot Zavateri (Without Parole) enhanced Eve Johnson Houghton's vibrant campaign. "I love this horse--he is one of the nicest I've had and has a huge amount of ability," declared the Blewbury-based handler, whose Havana Hurricane had won the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot last month. "He's got a great attitude and just wants to please--every time he puts his head through a bridle he is ears pricked...

"I'm missing my dad, he'd have been proud," was Eve Johnson Houghton's reflection after greeting her second Windsor Castle winner, just weeks after her late father Fulke had died at the age of 84. "He'd be the first person I'd ring." On a day when Ballydoyle and Godolphin stood tall again, Royal Ascot proved it still has the potential to throw up the odd surprise for the little man and they don't come much smaller than the bargain 9,000gns Tattersalls Somerville graduate Havana Hurricane. Taking his owners to Epsom for...

NEWMARKET, England--For the second consecutive year Havana Grey (GB) and Whitsbury Manor Stud were responsible for the highest-priced yearling at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale as a filly by the in-demand stallion went the way of Alex Elliott, acting on behalf of Amo Racing, for 140,000gns during Tuesday's session at Park Paddocks. Lot 419 was the headline buy on a productive day for Elliott, who signed for the top three lots from the session in some shape or form. Lot 376, a Sergei Prokofiev colt offered by Chasemore Farm, is...

I love Paris in the springtime, sang Ella Fitzgerald, and I'm pretty sure it was a thinly-veiled reference to her secret passion for heavy ground three-year-old maidens at Saint-Cloud. What Classic clues may we glean there? Well, maybe none. But I liked the look of Narkez (Fr), who gave his rivals a six-length walloping in the Prix Comrade last Tuesday, picking up where he left off after winning at Clairefontaine last October. Bred by Nurlan Bizakov under his Sumbe banner, the colt represents that magic Siyouni (Fr)-Galileo (Ire) cross, though...

Eve Johnson Houghton trainee Juniper Berries (GB) (Expert Eye {GB}--Tricksy Spirit {GB}, by Lethal Force {Ire}) made five unsuccessful attempts to add to a debut win over five furlongs at Bath in April and notched a stakes breakthrough in Thursday's G3 Ire-Incentive It Pays To Buy Irish Dick Poole Fillies' S. at Salisbury, doubling her win tally in her first try at the six-furlong trip. The 16-1 outsider, who ran fourth in Royal Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S. in June and Newbury's Listed St Hugh's S. last month, was reined...

Eve Johnson Houghton trainee Indian Run (Ire) (Sioux Nation--Just Wondering {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) bettered a debut third at Newbury with a breakthrough score at Ascot last month and continued on the upgrade with a decisive success in Wednesday's G3 Tattersalls Acomb S. at York. Racing under a firm hold in a handy fifth through the early fractions of this seven-furlong test, he loomed large out wide passing the quarter-mile marker and was ridden out once quickening to the fore approaching the final furlong to hold the late threat...

   By her own admission, Eve Johnson Houghton does not have unlimited resources to tap into at the yearling sales, which makes her successes in recent seasons all the more impressive.    The trainer sent out 10,000gns purchase Chipotle (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) to win the Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot last season and, proving that result was no fluke, bagged the lucrative Tattersalls-sponsored sales race at the Curragh on Sunday with another cheaply-bought son of Havana Gold, the unbeaten Streets Of Gold (Ire).    With the help of...