Eighto

[magic_idol]

Watch this horse !!!!

[magic_idol]

Lonhro's full-brother Eighto won't be rushed to make a name for himself despite his spectacular debut win at Geelong.

Ridden by Michael Rodd, the striking three-year-old son of Octagonal and Shadea was slow to begin and tracked three deep in last place before making an explosive charge for the lead from the 600 metres.

At one stage the Peter Snowden-trained gelding was at least 12 lengths from the leaders but turning for home he had slashed that margin in half and had the field covered as he stormed home.

Up the straight Eighto ($1.65 fav) stretched his lead with every stride as Rodd sat up against him over the last 200 metres to win the Shane Cook Homes Maiden (1200m) by six lengths from Sheemsa ($13).

Maturity issues had prevented Eighto from racing before Friday, but Snowden's son Paul said he "was as sound as a bell".

He said no major plans had been made for Eighto at this stage and that the stable would be guided by each run about where to place him next.

"We will just see how he pulls up after today," Snowden said.

"He might have another run at the provincials before going midweek (in the city) but it is one step at a time and we are not in a hurry with him.

"He is very a nice type of horse and a ready-made package.

"It was a huge run. Not many horses can sustain a run like that and keep going to the line."

Strikingly similar to Lonhro, he impressed with his attitude and gave Rodd the feel that he was a class galloper.

Rodd rode to instructions to bide his time on Eighto and when he was slow out he took hold of him three wide to keep him out of trouble.

"We didn't want to bustle him early," Snowden said. "We just wanted him to find his feet."

Rodd rode Eighto when he finished second in a Cranbourne barrier trial earlier this month and was confident he would measure up today.

"You are always excited when they win like that but it was pretty moderate opposition," Rodd said.

"All I had to do was keep him out of trouble."

Rodd said he made his run from the 600 metres to avoid an erratic horse in front of him.

"He made up a lot of ground from the 600 metres to the 400," Rodd said.

"When I clicked him up and put him into gear he gave me a good feel."

Eighto is the 11th of 12 foals from Shadea who died in July last year.

The 2003-04 Australian Racehorse of the Year, Lonhro was by far the best of her progeny winning 26 of his 35 starts including 11 Group One events and nearly $5.8 million in prizemoney.

The stable was cautious about his chances today, mindful that another of Lonhro's brothers Spikes, a six-year-old, has won only once on 16 starts.

Another brother, Niello, won four from 15, three at Group One level, and both he and Lonhro are at stud.
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[my miss storm cat]

Do you have a replay, Magic man? Would love to see this one!

[magic_idol]

I pm'ed _ED_ to see if he could download it to utube as i only have it on bigpond & u have to have your phone account with them to use their site

[_ed_]

I'll do that if I can find it, but I can't at the moment! I'll keep looking.

[my miss storm cat]

Seymour on Friday.....

[magic_idol]

Yeah was way heavy backed $1:50 the win & 1 the place & ran 3rd
gave them to much headstart & being at seymor which is like our 2nd string area u would have thought it would have blitzed it !!!