Rivals to be Green With Envy

There has been a view expressed by a number of pundits that the leading three-year-old fillies are better than the top colts.

It is difficult to make comparisons but while the likes of Gimme A Nother and Beach Bomb have been outstanding, none of the colts or geldings has really dominated the Classic scene.

It is difficult to assess how runners such as Sandringham Summit and Main Defender would have performed against the likes of Hluhluwe and Grade 1 Guineas winner Snow Pilot, the concern is that every three-year-old Classic has been won by a different horse.

On the other hand, Beach Bomb has performed superbly in all but one of her feature races while Gimme A Nother remains unbeaten in four starts. It’s just a pity that she could not get to Cape Town owing to travel restrictions.

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But for the first time, we do have a top filly taking on some of the best colts in tomorrow’s Grade 1 SplashOut Cape Derby over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. Beach Bomb, winner of two Grade 1 races – the Cape Fillies Guineas and the Paddock Stakes – over 1600m and 1800m respectfully, will face off against Hluhluwe and Green With Envy, who finished third and fourth respectively in the Cape Guineas.

Candice Bass-Robinson’s charge has not only won against her own age group but got the better of last season’s Equus Horse Of The Year Princess Calla to win the Paddock Stakes and that was no mean feat. The beautifully bred daughter Lancaster Bomber and the superb Beach Beauty, however, did blot her copybook last time with a lacklustre performance in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes over 1600m when unplaced behind Princess Calla.

The vet could detect nothing obvious so hopefully it was just one of those inexplicable performances that one can put a line through. She does come into the race as the best weighted runner by at least 5.5kg and on paper that makes her the runner to beat.

But she does face a fast-improving colt in Green With Envy.

The more I watch a replay of the Cape Guineas, the more I lament on his bad fortune. He already had a wide draw to start with and was then taken out at the start. He turned into the straight at the back of the field but made up ground hand over fist to run fourth, beaten just over two lengths.

That is why he looked a near certainty when going up to 1800m in the Grade 3 Politician Stakes even though he carried joint top weight. He won that impressively and there is no question Dean Kannemeyer’s charge will be even better over an additional 200m.

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This son of Gimmethegreenlight looks well ahead of the handicapper over this sort of distance and should give Craig Zackey another Grade 1 success. He could be a banker for smaller punters in the carryover Pick 6, which is likely to reach R3 million.

Just a short head in front of him came Hluhluwe and it will take a special performance from Justin Snaith’s charge to get the better of Green With Envy this time.

Also run at the meeting is the Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over 1200m and this should provide bettors with another banker as Thunderstruck will take a power of beating. He has been in top form in the Cape so far with two wins and a close second in his three races. He is probably at his best over this distance and Richard Fourie riding for Sean Tarry is a formidable combination.