By Tom Frary
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 and saying 'what am I doing?' He's a dream to train and I liked him so much as a yearling I sent a mare to Without Parole.”
Impressive on debut in what has turned out to be a modest affair at Salisbury last month, the 35,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 bargain buy proved a perfect conveyance for Charles Bishop despite being trapped wide throughout the six-furlong test. Launched between the three and the two, he let fly with a 10.62 sectional to swamp the fatiguing front-runners en route to a length success from the Coventry runner-up Do Or Do Not (Space Blues), the only runner to run economically and deliver 100% finishing speed.
“We didn't underestimate him and he'll improve again,” Bishop said. “He was caught on the wing without any help today and I had to commit sooner than I wanted to, so I was impressed with the way he found the line. He'll get seven in time and he's got a very good mind–everything you ask him to do, he does immediately. I always thought he would appreciate a bit of give, as he has a bit of a high action but he's handled fast ground well twice now.”
This race is not a customary 2,000 Guineas stepping stone, but Zavateri doesn't have the pedigree of a sprinter and his trainer is thinking of the Classic preparatory route now with the yard's other bigwig sticking at speed trips. “Havana Hurricane is a sprinter and this horse wants further–he's bred to get the mile and he definitely wants seven furlongs now,” she added. “We'll probably run him once or twice more this year, maybe he'll go to Goodwood for the Vintage and then we can look at the Dewhurst. I knew he was a good horse and he's so professional I never had a moment's doubt really.”
Zavateri wins the Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes!
The Without Parole colt dents some big reputations and is now two from two as this 35,000gns buy lands Group 2 honours in quite a result for the @johnsonhoughton team 👏 @BahrainTurfClub | @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/ze17fu4m7e
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 10, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Zavateri is the first foal out if the unraced Zeroua (Siyouni), who was bought by Avenue Bloodstock for €90,000 out of the Aga Khan Studs draft at the 2021 Arqana December auction. Her dam was the similarly unraced Zerkaza (Dalakhani), a daughter of the revered peerless champion Zarkava who produced one Stakes performer in Sea The Stars's dual Australian Group 3 winner Zeyrek.
Having broken ground as the brilliant Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Prix de Diane and Arc heroine, Zarkava provided the operation with Dubawi's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud-winning sire Zarak and the G1 Prix Vermeille-placed Zarkamiya by Without Parole's sire Frankel. She is in turn the dam of this year's promoted Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner and G1 Coronation Stakes runner-up Zarigana by Zeroua's sire Siyouni. Zeroua's second foal is a yearling filly by Ghaiyyath.
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