The Cape Guineas could be on the horizon for Dennis Drier’s exciting unbeaten colt Hack Green, who had backers and his connections on the edge of their seats when showing terrific courage to hold off the Gauteng filly Green Pepper to win the inaugural BSA Million Sprint at Scottsville on Sunday.
Hack Green (Sean Veale) down the inside just holds off the attentions of Green Pepper (Randall Simons) in a grandstand finish
They say there is no such thing as a racing certainty, but after two opening wins, including a facile Gr2 success on Super Sunday, punters showed little interest in anything else as Hack Green was backed to the exclusion of his fifteen opponents.
How we called it
But the 1200m straight contest turned into a far closer call than anticipated – with SA Champion Freshman Sire Gimmethegreenlight and his home base Varsfontein Stud, dominating the proceedings – and the day in the end- with a top two thriller.
The 1200m and 1600m double feature was restricted to all yearlings or 2yo’s sold in 2015 and entered in the TBA value added stakes/futurity series.
The final fields were determined by a panel appointed by Gold Circle – and there is always bound to be hard-luck stories. Trainer Muis Roberts was one – expressing his disappointment earlier in the afternoon that his MR 80 The King Of Random failed to make the cut, ahead of lower rated horses. King Of Random is still a maiden.
But the day belonged to the goodlooking 3yo Hack Green, who was settled a few lengths off the pace from his 4 draw early on.
The expected crowding on the inside rail predictably looked to be coming to test his resolve, with Lunar Rush, Seattle Singer and Hallo Mr going fast up front.
The underrated and animated jockey Sean Veale had a few decisions to make at the 600m marker, with six horses in front of him and no rite of passage guaranteed.
Trainer Dennis Drier – rates Hack Green
Veale switched his mount out repeatedly as he searched for that gap, which eventually came at the 350m marker as Hack Green drew alongside the recent Vaal debut winning filly, Green Pepper. With the Varsfontein Stud Gimmethegreenlight pair drawing clear to do battle, the favourite looked to have the edge until 50m from the line, when Johan Janse van Vuuren’s filly swooped for the kill. With Veale riding Hack Green for his life, Randall Simons kept his cool and launched Black Pepper.
The photo showed that Hack Green had maintained his unbeaten three-from-three streak by a short head in a time of 69,69 secs.
The Green Team lead in their star after that nailbiting finish
Green Pepper arrived a largely unheralded quantity, but left a near giantkiller, and she is one to follow in Novice company against her own sex.
Corne Spies’ ever present Seattle Singer ran her usual gutsy race, to hang on for third and over 3 lengths behind the second horse. The Cape-based Felicity Flyer ran fourth.
Current part-owner David Abery signed for Hack Green on the 2015 Val De Vie Yearling Sale for R950 000. Unbeaten in three starts, Hack Green took his stakes earnings to R862 500 and is likely to be rested in advance of jumping on the Dennis Drier Cape Summer Of Champions bus.
His sire, a Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner, has burst on to the scene with gusto and continues to churn out the winners. 
Trained in his racing career by Justin Snaith, the Gr1 Queen’s Plate winning son of More Than Ready has pedigree similarities with two of Australia’s top sires – namely Sebring and Redoute’s Choice. Hack Green’s dam Secret Mission (by Fort Wood) is a full sister to Secret Heart, dam of Pluck – also by More Than Ready. A present day stallion in Australia, Pluck won the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile for Team Valor and his first crop are now 3yo’s.
The sky looks to be the limit for Hack Green, who should be even more effective over the mile.
