David Thiselton
The Justin Snaith-trained Eight On Eighteen enhanced his already glittering CV by adding a career fourth Gr 1 victory on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville and with a magnificent pedigree behind him his stallion value would have reached rare heights.
He won the Gr 1 wfa Champions Cup over 1800m from his stablemate See It Again, ensuring another big race exacta for prolific Durban-based owner Nick Jonsson.
Illness had seen Eight On Eighteen having an interrupted Summer Season and it took him a while to find his feet after fully recovering.
However, Richard Fourie had confirmed he was back to his high class best when putting in a superb gallop at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the day of the Hollywoodbets Durban July Gallops.
The confidence increased as the Champions Cup approached and he shortened right into 2/1 at one stage.
He drifted out to 9/2 on the day as See It Again and The Real Prince were supported starting 28/10 and 5/2 favourite respectively.
However, that did not stop Fourie riding Eight On Eighteen as if he was a good thing.
Fourie sat on him from the off after jumping from draw three in the eight horse field and had him one from last.
However, he did ensure he was one off the rail, because there was no false rail on the day and one had to switch outward at the top of the straight to ensure a clear run.
Fourie got him going early in the straight as the pace set by Dave The King had not been fast and Eight In Eighteen gave a superb burst of speed to soon hit the front.
He lugged inward away from the lights and might have inconvenienced See It Again a bit by carrying him towards eventual third-placed Main Defender.
See It Again was making late inroads to be beaten only 1.05 lengths. Jonsson and Snaith might not have been as happy afterwards if their sole horse in the race had been See It Again, although Fourie was probably correct in saying Eight and Eighteen had put the race to bed by the time of that incident anyway.
The stipes report said the incident had been caused by Eight On Eighteen rolling in at the same time as Legal Counsel had rolled out and brushed Main Defender, causing the latter to be pushed outward.
Nevertheless, See It Again, who did not have to break stride at all, rallied superbly. He did enough to be a certainty for the Equus Horse Of The Year award, which was won by Eight On Eighteen last year.
It will be the third time Jonsson has won the Equus Horse Of The Year award, having also won it with Do It Again in 2018/2019.
However, the Snaiths have now won it seven times with Legislate in 2013/2014, Futura in 2014/2015, Oh Susanna in 2017/2018, Do It Again in 2018/2019, Captain’s Ransom in 2021/2022, Eight On Eighteen in 2024/2025 and See It Again looking a shoe-in this year.
Incidentally, many feel Jonsson’s Snaith-trained Jet Dark should have got Horse Of The Year ahead of stablemate Captain’s Ransom in 2021/2022.
Nevertheless, Jonsson will feel like he has the world at the feet with Eight On Eighteen still being an entire and See It Again being a gelding.
See It Again looks to have another season in him, despite the fact he will be seven next term.
Eight In Eighteen is by Lancaster Bomber, who has been proven to be a huge loss, and he is from one of thee best family’s in the stud book. His dam Sempre Libre is not only out of the champion broodmare and iconic matriarch Mystic Spring, but she is also by the influential champion sire and leading broodmare sire Captain Al.
Eight On Eighteen is part-owned by Johann Rupert, whose wife Gaynor owns the Drakenstein Stud who bred both Eight On Eighteen and See It Again.
Eight In Eighteen is sure to stand at Drakenstein one day.
There has not been any announcement of his retirement though, so he will hopefully be racing again next season, which will be much to the joy of his devoted groom Philip Sengeza.
