The newly crowned national champion freshman stallion Gimmethegreenlight proved his worth at Scottsville yesterday as he was the sire of both the winner and runner up of the Bloodstock SA (BSA) Million Sprint, Hack Green and Green Pepper respectively, as well as being sire of the BSA Million Mile winner Legend.

KZN Champion trainer Dennis Drier and Sean Veale landed a four-timer together and their winners included 11/20 shot Hack Green, who was given a magnificent ride.

Later, Duncan Howells and Anthony Delpech converted favouritism in the BSA Million Mile with Legend, and in the meeting they landed a double and treble respectively.

Hack Green was covered up from a good draw in the Million Sprint and with the field cramming on to the inside strip Veale made a winning decision to switch outward for a run where he found the smallest of gaps. The horse had enough in the tank to squeeze through before courageously fending off another unbeaten horse, the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained filly Green Pepper, who was running on strongly under Randall Simons. Hack Green, under typically strong driving from Veale, held on by a hair’s breadth.

The winner and runner up are not only both by Gimmethegreenlight, but were also both bred by Varsfontein Stud and are both out of Fort Wood mares.

The four horses behind Hack Green were all fillies. Seattle Singer, who finished runner up in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, proved her liking for the course and distance by running third ahead of Felicity Flyer and South Side.

Hack Green, who won the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m at Greyville by three lengths two weeks ago, is owned by M Dally, DG Abery, EW Buhr, H Adams and N Loubser.

Delpech had the progressive Legend about six lengths off the pace from a good draw in the Million Mile and he then made up ground rapidly in the straight before going clear to win by 1,5 lengths from the Gavin van Zyl-trained Last Outlaw. The latter also jumped from a good draw and stayed on strongly to be clear of the rest, who were headed by Palladium, Orapa and Eden Gardens Glitz.

Legend, who was bred by Mr and Mrs CF de Vos, has been brought on continuously by Howells and, like his sire, loves the one mile trip. He is owned by TL Tait, KJ Berry, Howells himself, SD Tait and BE Tait. It is the second R1 million sales race Howells has landed this winter.

In the first race on the card, a maiden for three-year-old fillies over 1200m, the Drier-trained Fort Wood filly Maple Story was backed in from 6/1 to 3/1 and overcame a wide draw under Sean Veale to beat the widely drawn Howells-trained 14/1 chance Online. Online’s stablemate, the 12/10 favourite Inyati, found no extra and was pipped for third by yet another Howells-trained inmate, the 33/1 shot first-timer Accidental Tourist. The latter is another horse by Gimmethegreenlight to follow. Fifth-placed Jay Jay’s Girl found some outside support and after this decent debut is another one to keep an eye on.

Drier and Veale later won a 1000m MR 86 handicap with the problematic Imperial Stride gelding Swakopmund, who is fortunately part-owned by veterinarian Manfred Rohwer. This horse knocks himself badly and has often cost himself by tearing off to the front. However, thanks to plenty of work done by Carrie Radford, Drier’s trusty workrider, as well as the reluctant fitting of a citation bit, the horse showed his ability yesterday to win at odds of 11/1 in a blanket finish from Speedy Suzy, the 2/1 favourite Monte Christo, Piano Man and Panza.

Drier and Veale completed a fine day when the hitherto disappointing Warm White Night gelding Saber’s Beads enjoyed the 1600m trip of the last and stayed on from the front to held off The Boxster.

Delpech, who was aboard Inyati in the first, had a fine card of rides. His mount in the second, the Howells-trained 4/1 shot Sir Edmund, was in with a shout in the 1200m maiden for three-year-olds but had no answer to the Michael Roberts-trained Argonaut colt Sarah’s Secret. The latter looked a picture in the preliminaries and found a strong finish from a draw of ten under Keagan de Melo to win by 0,25 lengths at odds of 16/1. The Klawervlei Stud-bred colt had not run since May 18 and looks a promising sort.

Delpech got on to the board in the third, a maiden for three-year-olds over 1200m, when the Alyson Wright-trained Var colt Life Is Good improved on his debut and forged clear from a handy position before holding on to win by 0,75 lengths from rank outsider Cabinda and another outsider Roy’s Magic.

In the fourth race, a weak maiden over 2400m, Delpech won narrowly on the 4/1 Belinda Impey-trained chance Sky Arrow, beating Osuna, who was backed in from long odds to 20/1.

In the seventh race, a MR 70 Handicap over 1600m, the Howells-trained 10/1 chance Baltic Amber, ridden by Randall Simons, just held on from the Doug Campbell-trained 17/10 favourite Pirogue to deny Delpech another winner.

In the ninth, a Maiden over 1600m for fillies and mares, the Gavin van Zyl-trained Mambo In Seattle filly Inga ran on well under Warren Kennedy to convert favouritism. Doctor Lembethe took a terrible fall around the bend in this race but at time of going to press was sitting up in the medical room and was suspected to have a shoulder injury. He was to be taken to hospital thereafter.

David Thiselton