Pictures credit: Chase Liebenberg Photography
By Andrew Harrison (Race Coast)
Eight On Eighteen, was back with a bang as he put a high-class field to bed in The HKJC Champions Cup Gr1 at a packed Hollywoodbets Greyville today.
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 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge Gr1.
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 Nic 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 2000 Gr 1 where we lost and the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge Gr 1 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 World Pool Moment of the Day Champion Stakes Gr1 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 belief 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 Mercury Sprint Gr1 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 Computaform Sprint Gr 1 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 Post Merchants Gr 3 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. Whatever 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 World Pool Gold Cup Gr 3 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 Betway Summer Cup Gr 1 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.”
