Justin Snaith’s smashing 3yo Eight On Eighteen underlined his SA Horse Of The Year claims as he took his career earnings to over R6 million when registering his third Grade 1 success off the back of a scintillating effort to win the R2 million Daily News 2000 at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.
With late drama courtesy of the TCO2 withdrawal of Fabian Habib’s Gr1 SA Classic winner Confederate, only six horses (five Hollywoodbets Durban July entries) jumped in the first Grade 1 of the 2025 SA Champions Season and it was literally no contest, as Ridgemont-sponsored SA champion Richard Fourie earned his easiest elite level commission in some time.
Pacework! Richard Fourie guides Eight On Eighteen to a popular win (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
“The great thing is he was still needed the run,” added Fourie who dropped the newsmaking Met and Cape Derby winner out, as stablemate Makazole cut out the fractions in front.
As they spun for home, Fourie brought the exciting son of ill-fated Lancaster Bomber around his field and he lengthened to simply demolish his opposition.
Tightening to 4-10 after the departure of Confederate, Eight On Eighteen hardly raised a sweat to beat Mike de Kock’s gallant filly Spumante Dolce (3-1) by 3,80 lengths in a time of 122,37 secs for the 2000m.
Okavango (14-1) was given every chance and a firm ride, but and was beaten a further quarter length back into third, with Native Ruler (33-10) in fourth.
The last of the Hollywoodbets Durban July quintet, Parisian Walkway faded to finish 8,75 lengths off the winner.
Justin Snaith was as excited as Fourie, saying that one just knows that Eight On Eighteen’s ‘engine is ticking over but it hasn’t yet kicked into gear.’
Eight On Eighteen was Snaith’s third winner of the Daily News after Russian Sage (2008) and Legislate in 2014. Fourie has ridden all three.
This was owner Nic Jonsson’s second Daily News success after Michael Roberts saddled See It Again under Piere Strydom in 2023.
Owner Nic Jonsson and the Snaith Racing team lead their rising star back to the number 1 box (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The winner, a R700 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, made it 5 wins with 5 places from his 10 starts for stakes of R6 030 213.
Raced by Nic Jonsson and Johann Rupert, Eight On Eighteen was Drakenstein Stud’s second feature success of the afternoon. He is a son of deceased War Front stallion Lancaster Bomber out of the unraced Captain Al mare, Sempre Libre.
Now will Eight On Eighteen line up in the Hollywoodbets Durban July? That’s 50-50. Let’s wait and see!
