'This horse can run and I’m glad he showed it' - young starlet Eight On Eighteen strikes in Cape Town Met

South Africa’s three-year-olds are proving a cut above their elders as the country's biggest weight-for-age event went to the youngest horse in the field.

Trainer Justin Snaith admitted it was a risk for Eight On Eighteen to tackle seasoned rivals in the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met at Kenilworth, although the talking horse was sent off the 9-5 favourite and achieved it with an authority far beyond his callow age.

Market rival Oriental Charm, winner of the Durban July and the eventual runner-up, had made a gallant attempt from the front with jockey JP van der Merwe taking him across to the stands rail in the straight while Richard Fourie played a waiting game on Eight On Eighteen. As a gap opened on the far side, they charged through it to finish half a length up.

Earlier in the month One Stripe, who had been just ahead of Eight On Eighteen in the Cape Guineas, had beaten older horses in the prestigious L’Ormarin’s King’s Plate at the same venerable track.

Only a couple of three-year-olds this century, Badger’s Coast (2000) and Snaith’s filly Oh Susannah (2018) have triumphed in this historic race.  Not only was it a third consecutive Met for the leading Cape Town trainer, they had all carried the pink and green colours of workwear tycoon Nick Jonsson after the triumphs of Double Superlative and Jet Dark.

Richard Fourie realises victory is in the bag for Eight On EighteenCredit: Chase Liebenberg

"Everyone seemed to think he was past the post but he’s a young three-year-old over 2000m and it was not cut and dried as a lot of people thought," Snaith said.

"I thought he was a little bit stiff in the Guineas, he came from a long way back and I thought we had the winner, so it was good to come back and do this.

"There’s risk involved for a young horse at this time in his career but when you win now it was all worth it. Very impressive individual. This horse can run and I’m glad today he showed it."

One Stripe is set to be aimed towards the Breeders’ Cup and while Snaith did not rule out such a challenge for Eight On Eighteen, it would be a decision for another day.

Asked about his overall ambitions, he said: "Just win as many races as I can in South Africa and maybe take a couple of horses overseas. I was on my way to Hong Kong but I decided to stay here because of the development and improvement of our racing and I’m pretty committed."

He continued: "Would [Eight On Eighteen] be good enough to go like One Stripe to the States? Yes. Those horses that ran in the States [Beach Bomb and Isivunguvungu at the Breeders' Cup] last year, these are better. To be honest, I think they’re a step up on that and those weren’t too far back."

Eight On Eighteen was owned in partnership with Johann Rupert, whose wife Gaynor bred him at Drakenstein Stud. He was one of two Group 1 winners on the card sired by former Aidan O’Brien trainee Lancaster Bomber, whose premature demise continues to cast a long shadow over the South African breeding industry.

There are just two crops racing by the Tattersalls Gold Cup scorer and runner-up in the likes of the Dewhurst and St James’s Palace Stakes, who died aged just seven in mid 2021 from a suspected heart attack at Drakenstein.

Rascova returns after a game success in the Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes at KenilworthCredit: Chase Liebenberg

Rascova was already among his highest rated progeny but her elusive strike at this level was achieved in the Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes, courtesy of a tigerish performance under Gavin Lerena to thwart her regular sparring partner and hot favourite Double Grand Slam by a short head. The second is part-owned by golfing maestro Gary Player.

"She’s not very big but she’s got the heart of a lion," said Rascova’s trainer, Glen Kotzen, who admitted he had been concerned by the health of his stable in recent weeks but had allowed the four-year-old to take her chance.

"This was the one that we wanted, we wanted the Group 1 because she’s won everything else," he continued.

"It’s a lovely rivalry between the two fillies, I think we’ve beaten her five times and she’s beaten us six! Gary Player and myself have a little side bet, whoever wins will give each other a hundred bucks. So he owes me a hundred and I’m surprised he never came up to give it to me! He did shake my hand.

"She can go to stud now but she’ll race another season in Natal and have a crack at the next Group 1 there."

The other Group 1, the HKJC World Pool Cape Flying Championship, was taken with complete authority by Dean Kannemeyer's Gimme A Prince, winner of the five-furlong charge two years ago.

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