HKJC Champions Cup

(Grade 1)

THE Justin Snaith-trained Eight On Eighteen enhanced his already glittering CV by adding a fourth Group 1 victory on Sunday at Greyville.

He won the Group 1 Champions Cup over nine furlongs from his stablemate See It Again, ensuring another big race success for Durban-based owner Nick Jonsson.

Trainer Richard Fourie had confirmed during the week that Eight On Eighteen was back to best having an interrupted season.

He shortened into 2/1, though See It Again and The Real Prince were supported on the day, with the latter going off 5/2 favourite.

Fourie had him one from last in the eight-horse field and got him going early in the straight off the steady pace set by Dave The King.

Eight On Eighteen produced a burst of speed to soon hit the front, though might have hindered See It Again by carrying him towards eventual third Main Defender. See It Again still rallied well, but was a length down at the line.

Eight On Eighteen is by Lancaster Bomber, the 2018 Tattersalls Gold Cup-winning son of War Front, who has been proven to be a huge loss, dying as a seven-year-old.

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.

There were contrasting results in the other two Group 1s, the World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes over a mile going to outsider Erik Dubois from the even bigger priced Kazenoyoni (25/1) for jockey Lyle Hewitson and winning trainer Louis Goosen.

The six-furlong Mercury Sprint went to the favourite Buffalo Storm Cody, beating second-favourite Jet Force by a length, repeating last year’s success for winning jockey Gavin Lerena and trainer Tony Peter.