Storming! Soft Falling Rain wins the UAE 2000 Guineas last night
Soft Falling Rain gave trainer Mike de Kock a fifth win in the 1,600m UAE 2000 Guineas, leading 400m out under Paul Hanagan for his big owner, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, who was present to witness the victory, as was his brother, Sheikh Mohammed.
A son of National Assembly and a champion juvenile in South Africa last year, the winner has won all six career starts, but future plans remain fluid according to De Kock.
“Stamina was a concern, but he has stayed well off a decent early pace and recorded a decent time,” De Kock said.
“I will have to talk to the owner as to whether we step up again, but this could be his optimum.”
The owner added: “We will consider the UAE Derby but we may stick to this trip. He is a horse we are keen to take to England, with Royal Ascot perhaps in mind.
For the hobby handicappers and form students, this comment from Raceform/Racing Post (UK) on Soft Falling Rain’s last Dubai win may make for interesting reading:
Champion juvenile in South Africa after going 4-4, including a Grade 1, impressed on the clock, recording a time 0.91 seconds faster than the earlier fillies’ trial. Plus,he had a 7lb penalty. However, he was helped by getting an uncontested lead, going slower early than the pacesetters in Music Chart’s race, which aided his rapid closing splits (full comparison in the earlier race), and the ordinary-looking runner-up sat second more or less throughout. It may also be worth noting the winner edged to his right under pressure, not convincing he was totally happy. Clearly, Soft Falling Rain is a smart colt, and he’ll probably be hard to beat in the Guineas itself (should get the 1m), when he won’t have a penalty, but this form is nothing special (main market rival found all sorts of trouble), and for now at least it may be unwise to get carried away.
The Full Result:
Thursday, Meydan, Dubai
UAE 2000 GUINEAS SPONSORED BY AL TAYER
MOTORS-G3, $250,000, Meydan, 2-14, 3yo, 1600m
(AWT), 1:36.70, stn.
1–SOFT FALLING RAIN (SAF), 131, c, 3, by National Assembly
1st Dam: Gardener=s Delight, by Giant’s Causeway
2nd Dam: Highbury, by Seattle Slew
3rd Dam: Quillummo, by Gummo
(R350 000 yrl >11 CPYS) O-Sheikh Hamdan bin
Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Highlands Farms Stud Ltd;
T-Mike de Kock; J-Paul Hanagan ; $150,000. Lifetime
Record: Ch. 2yo-SAF, G1SW-SAf, 6-6-0-0, $244,258.
2nd–Snowboarder, 121, c, 3, Raven=s Pass–Gaudete, by
Distorted Humor. ($190,000 yrl >11 KEESEP).
O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum;
B-Fares Farm LLC; T-Mahmood Al Zarooni; $50,000.
3rd–Zahee (NZ), 131, c, 3, Dylan Thomas (Ire)–Zaheeya
(Aus), by Encosta de Lago (Aus). O/B-Sheikh
Mohammed bn Khalifa Al Maktoum; T-Mike de Kock;
$25,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 3/4, NO.
Also Ran: Deauville Prince (Fr), Filfil, Fortify, Glass
Office (GB), Pure Excellence (GB)
