Determined Heiba breaks maiden

After several near misses, Heiba gained a deserved success at Newcastle on Friday when landing the 5f maiden in determined style.

Always to the fore under Graham Gibbons, Heiba took up the running 2f out and bravely repelled Eternalist to win cosily.

The son of Starspangledbanner, for whom he is another winner out of his small first crop, has shown marked progression since dropped back to the minimum distance for Robert Cowell, and remains on the upgrade.

Heiba was purchased by Tony Nerses for 110,000gns out of the Houghton Bloodstock draft at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Sale. He was bred by Fergus Cousins out of American Listed winner Pina Colada, the dam of three other winners. Further back, it is the family of Canford Cliffs.