Andrew Harrison
Eight On Eighteen, off the boil for much of the season, was back with a bang as he put a high-class field to bed in the Gr1 HKJC Champions Cup at a packed Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.
It was a masterful training feat by Justin Snaith who although having earmarked this race a long way out for last season’s three-year-old champion, was still on tenterhooks after a below par performance in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge.
However, his horses turned just before the Hollywoodbets Durban July with Note To Self winning and Eight On Eighteen also turning the corner.
There was some drama at the start as See It Again, who does not seem to favour Hollywoodbets Greyville, gave the starter’s assistants a hard time at loading but once in, he jumped with relish.
Former winner Dave The King was quickly out to make the running ahead of Legal Counsel with all the fancied runners handily placed.
Crossing the subway there were plenty in with chances, but Snaith’s runners went wide for a clear run at the wire. Eight On Eighteen, back to his best, quickened up past them all in commanding fashion chased by stable companion See It Again with the balance scrapping for the shallow end of the purse. Both winner and runner-up carried Nick Jonsson’s silks.
Post race Richard Fourie said he was always confident of the colt’s chances. “July morning, post-race the gallops he was there. I galloped Note To Self and I said I’ll win the July and when I came back I said to the whole Snaith team and everyone that was there you will need a crowbar to get me off this horse.
“He’s back and it felt like goosebump stuff. In the race today the gates opened so relaxed, got a little bit worried before we straightened up but I just tightened the bit in his mouth and he was ready and waiting. He quickened past them really really well and he saw the lights and carried on like he’s a youngster. He put them to bed with a phenomenal turn of foot.”
As good as the season’s been this is a race that you always want to win and to win it with a colt that has a pedigree to die for.”
“It was when Note To Self turned around. We figured out where that downfall was in the Daily News where we lost and the Gold Challenge which was an absolute disaster. When Note To Self started coming back to himself and I saw him run well I knew that I was on the right road. I knew; boys watch out they are going to come in strong.”
It took Louis Goosen 35 years to win his first Gr1 but he was always confident that his gelding Erik Dubois had it in him. In a tight battle to the line, Erik Dubois finally got the better of Kazenoyoni in the Gr1 World Pool Moment of the Day Champion Stakes with former champion jockey Lyle Hewitson celebrating in his first meeting back from Hong Kong on home soil.
Kazenoyoni was always up with the pace set by Vibe Check who was pressed hard from his outside draw to make the pace. His early exertions saw him run out of puff crossing the subway with Kazenoyoni fighting off challenges with Hewitson getting a dream split through the middle of the chasing pack joining battle with Kazenoyoni, slowly grinding down his rival with the balance of the field well beaten.
“There was a lot of confidence from everyone associated with this horse and I probably needed a little more confidence put into me but when I worked him on the day he filled me with a bit of believe and he obviously showed it today,” said Hewitson. “He’s a lovely horse and I still don’t know what his distance is. He could get faster and stronger and come back in trip but he showed resilience today and it was a good win.”
Goosen, unusually almost lot for words commented, “We aimed at this race which is the beautiful part. It’s fantastic to be here on a day like this. We don’t get many chances but we got one today.
“When he got off the float I said this horse has tightened up. He’s been soft and I’ve never got to the bottom of him. Everything was to peak and today was the day.”
Buffalo Storm Cody defended his Gr1 Mercury Sprint crown in emphatic fashion to confirm his status as the highest rated horse in the country. It was his second Gr1 victory of the season after winning the Gr1 Computaform Sprint and Gavin Lerena made full use of his favourable draw sitting in the box seat in the early exchanges as O’Tenikwa took a hold of the bit and barreled off at a solid gallop. Market rival Questioning had it all to do as he pushed forward from his wide gate which told when it came to the sharp end of the race.
Buffalo Storm Cody took over early in the straight chased home by recent Gr3 Post Merchants winner Jet Force but the win was never in doubt. The mare Asiye Phambili kicked on late for third to pip Questioning in what was possibly her final race of a distinguished career.
“We obviously had a better gate today,” said Lerena when questioned about last year. “He quite enjoyed it up front last year and won a phenomenal race. Today we took a sit in behind O’Tenikwa, he was quicker than me, but Buffalo has a good mind. What every you want him to do he adapts to it and he switched off beautifully. He was always full of run coming into the straight. A great training feat by Tony and uncle Paul Peter, they had the horse really well again.”
“You know what. The champions train themselves” said Tony Peter. “He is a really, really proper smart horse. He is very easy to train. He’s got one quirk about him is that he doesn’t like the lights and that found him out the last two years on July day.”
King Pelles was his nemesis last season, but Holding Thumbs made all to go one better in the Gr3 World Pool Gold Cup for Glen Kotzen and Chad Little. King Pelles was favourite to go back-to-back but was unfortunately eased out of the race at the 1200m mark by Hewitson but was reported to be in good order after the race.
Little dictated a pedestrian pace from the jump and was never challenged as he skipped clear at the top of the straight and was not for the catching with Ahead Of The Facts and rank outsider Jazz Café making late inroads.
Kotzen was frank in his assessment. “He doesn’t really like this track and the decision was to take him to the front and do his own fractions. I think Chad did the most amazing job, he never went too fast and at the same time kept them honest. He’s a proper galloper and I think the plan is to take him to the Summer Cup and take on the Jo’Burg boys.”
The plan, said Little, “was to make them burn a little bit and he got there and pricked his ears and it was never in doubt. Today he won a very good race. Well done Glen, he got him right.”
Serino Moodley brought up his century of wins for the season in fine fashion as he punched the grey Zeitz through a tight gap on the inside of a charging field and get up on the line in the Listed Tote Stakes. Major Master finished with a rattle but just not able to peg back Zeitz with Go Grayson Go always handy in third. It was a courageous effort from the winner as Green Gateway shifted in, squeezing Zeitz onto Field Marshal but once clear he quickened up for the victory.
Craig Zackey confirmed his place at the top of the Jockey Championship with a comfortable victory on the odds-on favourite Palace Of Arvernia in the Gr2 World Pool with Race Coast Debutante Stakes. Dean Kannemeyer has played a large role in Zackey’s ascendance so it was a fitting victory. Lyle Hewitson, second ride back from Hong Kong, looked to have caught all napping, making the pace on Perfect Sky and skipping clear but Palace Of Arvernia always had her in her sights and when asked for maximum she quickened up well to win with authority.
French rider Mickaelle Michel may have missed out on the ride on Hollywoodbets Durban July ante-post favourite Star Major after the horse was scratched but she and James Crawford have teamed up well and Crawford gave her a fitting send off back to France when 20-1 chance Fish Tales caused a boil-over in the Gr2 World Pool Bet With the Tote Stakes. It was never going to be an easy race with 14 in the line-up and Fish Tales drawn 12. However, Michel benefitted from a searching pace set by US Ranger keeping all honest and she managed to navigate a place two off the rail behind the well-backed Benny And Paul. She then drifted Fish Tails out off the false rail for a clear passage and ran them all down with Bisou Bisou staying on for second just ahead of World Series who was caught three wide all the way home.
US Ranger didn’t do the Fairview form any favours finishing closer to last than first in the earlier race but there was plenty of market support for fellow Fairview raider Marchland in the Gr2 Douglas Whyte Stakes in the face of hot favourite Alice B Toklas. Those that kept faith were rewarded as Muzi Yeni slipped Marchland up the inside rail to win as she liked to keep her unbeaten record in tact and put her name in the hat for and Equus Award. Hewitson set another blistering pace on Doesyourmotherknow and she stayed on for second ahead of Royal Tiara with Alice B Toklas battling home to a rather lackluster fourth.
Mocha Blend put her somewhat disappointing Hollywoodbets Durban July run behind her as she round off her season with a comfortable victory in the Gr2 Bet With The World Gold Bracelet. In a race run at no great pace, Frank Robinson’s filly quickened past them all with Kisshoten staying on for second ahead of Rahhabba.
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