Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Group 1)

A superb weekend for British raiders at the Irish Champions Festival got even better when Zavateri showed a tremendous attitude to maintain his unbeaten record after a prolonged tussle with Gstaad in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes.

Odds of 15/2 suggested that the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained July and Vintage Stakes winner hadn’t been fully respected prior to this, but he made everyone sit up and take note with a gritty display here.

Mick and Janice Mariscotti’s two-year-old made gradual headway from off the pace before himself and 10/11 favourite Gstaad pulled two and a half lengths clear of the third-placed Italy. The stewards called an inquiry after the pair came close in the final stages, but there was never a serious threat of the result being overturned and Charlie Bishop had a willing partner in the head success.

How well bought Zavateri was at 35,000gns as a yearling, now by far the best horse to come from his sire, Without Parole.

“He’s such a dude of a horse and I don’t train him, he trains me!” quipped the winning trainer.

“This race just sat right because it was a long way from Goodwood to the Dewhurst. We wanted to find a spot in between and I didn’t want to go to the Champagne and carry another penalty.

“He’s already won a Group 2 with a penalty and this is a Group 1, but we are coming into Aidan’s [O’Brien] backyard, although it’s the right spot time-wise for him.

“He’s come from a long way back on sticky ground, and they have not been finishing from a long way back today. That was pretty impressive I’d say and Charlie has given him a beautiful ride. He’s never been on this ground before; he’s not travelled away overnight before but he’s taken it all in his stride.”

The winner was trimmed to 12/1 (from 16/1) for next year’s 2000 Guineas, while Gstaad was also cut to the same price for the Newmarket classic (from 14/1).