Eight On Eighteen is likely the best horse in the Met but has had an interrupted preparation (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Great horses are able to overcome things ordinary horses would not be able to and the mettle of Eight On Eighteen is set to be put to the test in the GR 1 WSB Met on Saturday.
It has surfaced that he suffered a bout of biliary this season which saw him introduced late, with his reappearance being in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
Justin Snaith sounded bullish saying he had come on four lengths from the King’s Plate, where he was beaten 4,25 lengths over a distance short of his best.
However, other horsemen have spoken of biliary bringing about the unknown, as a horse might appear to be fine, but might have had a lot taken out of him, or her, during the disease life cycle.
Eight On Eighteen might have to pull out an Igugu-like feat to win it.
Igugu had swept all before her up until the build up to the 2012 Met.
As a three-year-old, after winning the Gr 3 Jo’Burg Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge, she suffered a shock defeat to Hollywoodboulevard in the Ready To Run Cup over 1400m and was then defeated by the top class Ebony Flyer in the Cape Fillies Guineas, where she didn’t get the run of the race.
However, she then completed the Wigerbosdrift Triple Tiara, then won the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 and the July and started off her four-year-old season by winning the Gr 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes.
However, Mike de Kock gave an insight into her Met build up a few years ago.
He recalled, “She had a respiratory problem and an ongoing foot problem that left us behind in our preparation. We ended up having to work her twice a day to catch up. She worked on the track in the morning and on the treadmill in the afternoon. There are not many horses that would have been able to take the work we gave her. But she has always been willing to do whatever you ask of her.”
The news before the Paddock Stakes that she had to be scratched came as a shock to punters as she had been ruling favourite for the Met at the time.
De Kock recalled, “Fortunately it was not serious and she was able to resume work quickly, which gave us just enough time.”
On top of her intense work programme at Randjesfontein, Igugu still faced the arduous journey to Cape Town that she would undergo on the Tuesday before The Met. To compound matters, it was confirmed by the state veterinarians that she would have to stay in vector protected quarantine conditions while in Cape Town, as there had been an outbreak of African Horse Sickness within a 30km radius of Randjesfontein.
This meant being locked up at the Kenilworth Quarantine Station two hours before dusk until two hours after dawn, meaning De Kock and his team would not be able to check up on her at night, except through a viewing window. Igugu emerged from the station on the morning of the race sweating and she sweated up again in the pre-race parade. But De Kock was not concerned. Igugu went down to the post with her familiar shuffling style, which can be misleading, but to those standing on the rail nearest to her there was no mistaking the power packed into that unique action. However, it was a different story in the race … at least until the final 200 metres.
After the off she struggled to get into her usual good early position. Fortunately she had a top class pilot aboard, her regular rider Anthony Delpech, who didn’t waste any energy pursuing plan ‘A’. Instead he eased her back, meaning she would have to come from further off them than she was used to. However, half way down the straight her winning chances looked gone. At a stage she was normally pulling clear, she appeared to be under pressure and still had two lengths to make up on Bravura. However, from somewhere deep in her reserves, she found another gear and surged past Bravura two strides from the line to win by 0,4 lengths.
The crowd had feared the worst, especially after commentator Jehan Malherbe had said, “Igugu is flat to the boards in the centre, she still has two lengths to make up” with just 200m to go.
However, she was no ordinary horse.
The writer of this article was standing on the lawns and as far as I recall watching the race on the big screen. I have a vivid memory of the crowd becoming downbeat as it looked like the country’s equine heroine was not going to do it.
However, a punter next to me then started shouting “Here she comes! Here she COMES! Here SHE COMES!”
It was an indication of her popularity that she could be referred to like that with a personal pronoun.
The crowd roared her home as she surged past Bravura to win by 0,45 lengths.
It was a victory of immense courage.
If Eight On Eighteen’s best form is taken into account the Met would not be a race.
He was 2,5kg worse off than weight for age when losing to The Real Prince by 0,25 lengths in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
The weight for age form since then in the Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup and Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate has all pivoted around The Real Prince, so Eight On Eighteen should have them beat.
Will he be he same horse though? That is the big question.
The other big question is whether See It Again can take his current form into the Met.
It should be remembered he was also July favourite as a three-year-old and like Eight on Eighteen he finished second by 0,25 lengths, but he was in fact 4,5kg worse off than wfa with the winner in that July.
He is full of class and if Eight On Eighteen is at his best he is the one who can challenge Eight On Eighteen.
See It Again is currently 5/2 with the sponsor, The Real Prince is 7/2 and Eight On Eighteen is 4/1.
It would be risky to lump on Eight On Eighteen due to the question mark hanging over his head.
It should also be remembered that Igugu never found her best form overseas and her Met effort might have taken its toll.
Eight On Eighteen will hopefully be able to produce his best and will not have to go to the line on empty.
The questions will be answered on Saturday and he couldn’t have a better partner than Richard Fourie to help him deliver the best answers.
