Green With Envy (far side) gets up to deny Sandringham Summit (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Green With Envy showed how classy and progressive he is today at Hollywoodbets Greyville when storming home from last place to win the Gr 2 WSB Guineas, despite it being a slow run race over a trip which is sharper than ideal for him, not to mention the gusting tailwind.
He was also returning from a layoff of two-and-a-half months, having not run since winning the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby over 2000m in comfortable fashion.
His Hollywoodbets Durban July supporters would have been happy with his win on one hand, but perhaps unhappy on the other because he beat home the 123 merit rated Sandringham Summit and therefore might cop a raise and go to 124.
If he does go up to a 124 it will not be a disaster as things stand because he will only have to carry 54kg in the July, presuming See It Again will still be merit rated 132 at the time of publishing the weights.
The handicappers, on the other hand, might use the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot as the line horse.
He ran off 120 and was beaten 0,60 lengths into third.
In that case the current 119-rated Green With Envy will be made 121 and will be carrying the minimum weight of 53kg for a three-year-old male in the July.
The reason the handicappers might use Snow Pilot is because it might be deemed that Sandringham Summit did not run to his true rating considering he beat Navajo Nation by only 2,45 lengths, compared to six lengths in the Gr 2 TAB Gauteng Guineas.
The time of the WSB Guineas was almost exactly a second slower than the earlier WSB Fillies Guineas and only 2,45 lengths separated the first six home.
Richard Fourie took Snow Pilot to the front today from draw four and he got an easy lead as the three drawn inside of him, Hluhluwe, Sandringham Summit and Green With Envy, were all held up.
Navajo Nation from the outside draw of seven got into second place in the running which caused Hluhluwe on the rail to be a bit cramped for a stride or two.
Mid Winter Wind was in third place on Navajo Nation’s flank with Hluhluwe next best on the rail, 85-rated Royal Edition was in fifth place behind Mid Winter Wind, Sandringhan Summit sat in sixth place and Craig Zackey was content to sit at the back on Green With Envy.
Fourie did not set fast fractions but still opened up a two length lead and went right to the inside in the straight. Sandringham Summit switched to the outside and ran on well, although perhaps not as well as he did here as a two-year-old.
Green With Envy followed the latter in the straight. He has developed into a classy individual and from being about a length down with 100m to go he mowed Sandringham Summit down with a strong late surge.
Hhuhluwe stayed on for a two length fourth. He will come on from the run, his first since gelding, and will relish a step up in trip.
Mid Winter Wind and Navajo Nation stayed on and were not disgraced, beaten 2,05 and 2,45 lengths respectively.
Snow Pilot gave Mid Winter Wind 6kg when beaten three lengths by him in the Byerley Turk over 1400m and he would have come on from that run too, so it is too early to write off Mid Winter Wind as not having stayed the trip today.
Jonathan Snaith said about Snow Pilot, “He was surprisingly green again at Greyville, hanging right across the course to the inside rail. Richard felt that had Snow Pilot kept a straight line he would have fought out the finish. He will be nominated for both the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge. The connections will decide once they’ve seen the weights and draws for both races on which route they’d like to opt for next.”
Jonathan continued, “Hluhluwe produced an excellent comeback effort and will be aimed at the Gr 1 Daily News 2000.”
Of today’s runners Green With Envy is now a 4/1 shot for the Hollywoodbets Durban July, Hluhluwe is 20/1, Snow Pilot is 25/1, Mid Winter Wind is 75/1 and Navajo Nation is 200/1.
Sandringham Summit is not in the July betting as connections have intimated he will not run.
Both Green With Envy and Sandringham Summit are by Gimmethegreenlight.
Green With Envy is a homebred of Lady Christine Laidlaw’s Khaya Stables.
