Good things come to those who wait, an adage James Armitage of Sandown Stud will no doubt attest to.
He stands Shadwell’s accomplished triple Gr1 winner Soqrat, whose fortunes received a huge boost in a matter of just three days.
Soqrat stretches at Sandown (Pic – Romi Bettison)
It all started last Thursday on the second day of the National Yearling Sale, when Drakenstein Stud sold a high quality Soqrat colt for an even million, an auspicious occasion given that he became the first of his sire’s progeny to break through the seven-figure barrier.
Named Swaziland, the colt is the first foal of East Cape Oaks winner Swazi Queen, from a female line which has gone from strength to strength this season, courtesy of Gr3 Cape Classic winner and Gr1 Cape Guineas third Great Plains, not to mention juvenile filly Green Diamond, who cracked her maiden in the Gr2 SA Nursery on just her second start.
On to Sunday and Soqrat’s three-year-old I Salute You, who stepped into the spotlight as his sire’s first stakes winner when he came out tops in a stirring battle to win Hollywoodbets Scottsville’s Listed Sledgehammer.
The Peter Muscutt-trained colt has made steady progress since cracking his maiden at the Maritzburg track in September. That was over 1200m, to which he has since added two more wins over a mile at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Muscutt, who had sourced I Salute You from the National 2YO Sale, remarked in the post-race interview: “I basically wanted to see where we were with him in the pecking order. Based on today’s run, obviously he’s a horse well above average and loves a scrap.”
Ros Vivienne Coetzee welcomes Muzi Yeni and I Salute You after the Listed Sledgehammer win (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Muscutt feels his new stakes winner is maturing into a decent middle-distance prospect.
“I always thought he was a ten-furlong horse. He did take a little time to wind up in the straight, but when he hit the line, he hit it strong, so he may still stay further.”
I Salute You was bred at Sandown on behalf of Shadwell Estate and needless to say, James was over the moon with the events of the last three days.
“Great news, it was wonderful to see Soqrat rewarded with a million Rand yearling.”
Remarkably, Swaziland was the sole representative of his sire to go through the ring at last week’s sale.
“Sadly, Soqrat hasn’t received as many mares as we would have liked since he’s gone to stud,” James added.
“He’s really had to do it the hard way, he doesn’t have the numbers. That said, he gets good-looking stock and trainers seem to like them, they have sold solidly from day one.”
Soqrat – dual Gr1 winning racehorse (Pic – Supplied)
I Salute You is a case in point, as Muscutt had to outlay R450 000 to secure his latest stakes winner, who is out of the dual winning Var mare Varachino, from the female line of Vodacom Durban July hero Hunting Tower.
The Sledgehammer winner is not the only Soqrat in the Muscutt stable, he also trains juvenile daughter Jordash, a facile maiden winner second time out at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
James was quick to point out another decent Soqrat around: “Don’t forget Sohot Sowhat, she’s won two of her first three starts.”
Trained by Lucinda Woodruff, the three-year-old just failed to make it a hat-trick of wins when beaten a longhead, whilst giving the winner almost 6 kg. Out of Gr2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas runner-up , she too, is a Shadwell-bred born and raised at Sandown.
As for I Salute You’s dam Varachino, James reports that she is currently not in foal, but may well return to Soqrat in the spring.
In the meantime, Peter Muscutt is looking forward to further improvement from her son: “He’s very gutsy. He’s a progressive sort, he continues to mature well and he’s a nice horse for the future.”
