Zavateri Favored to Claim Victory in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury

The Weekend Winners panel is back to preview an exciting day of racing from Newbury, with the Group 3 Greenham Stakes taking center stage. A field of eight horses will compete in the seven-furlong contest, with Zavateri, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, and Aidan O'Brien's Albert Einstein currently leading the pack. Other notable contenders include Title Role, Alparslan, Gonna Fly, and Needle Match. According to one expert, "This race is really intriguing on paper. The favorite, Zavateri, struggled at Newmarket and will likely thrive on the straight track. However, it's uncertain whether he will continue to improve, given his size and pedigree. I'm going to take a chance against him. I'm backing Alparslan, who has some ground to make up against Zavateri based on their previous meeting in the Dewhurst. He was a big price that day, which suggests something may have been amiss. With a lack of pace in the race, he could take an easy lead and dominate." Another expert disagrees, saying, "I'm supporting Zavateri, who won the National Stakes last season and doesn't have a Group 1 penalty for that win here - a significant advantage. He would need to underperform substantially to be beaten today. There are many question marks surrounding other runners, such as Albert Einstein and Title Role, so I'm sticking with the class angle - who I believe should be a lot shorter than their current price." A third expert has a different opinion, saying, "I'm going with Needle Match, who doesn't fit the typical profile of recent winners. However, his trainer has made comments suggesting he has some talented three-year-olds this season, and this horse could be one of them. He won on soft ground at Newbury, but I don't think quicker ground will be an issue based on his pedigree. He needs to take a massive step forward from his previous effort, but he's a decent price to do so. While the favorite has the best form, I want to take him on in his seasonal debut."