First winner for Soft Falling Rain!


Deceased Equus Champion Soft Falling Rain, whose first crop are now two, was represented by his first winner when his daughter Gin Fizz made a dazzling winning debut at Turffontein on Sunday afternoon.

Dispatched the  8-11favourite, the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred Gin Fizz made all to win the Itsarush.co.za Welcomes You Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m in a common canter.
Under jockey Gavin Lerena, the filly (trained like her sire and dam by Mike de Kock) pulled further and further clear of her chasing rivals to record a 7.4 length in the style of a filly with a bright future.

Gin Fizz is the first winner for her sire, with Soft Falling Rain’s first four runners having now either all won or finished in the money. (Another by the sire, Makara, ran third to Gin Fizz on Sunday and she has now been placed in both her starts thus far.

One of 16 G1 winners sired by Danzig sire National Assembly (others included the successful sire National Emblem and Horse Of The Year National Colour), Soft Falling Rain was South Africa’s Champion 2YO Colt of 2012, when his four wins (from as many starts) including the G1 SA Nursery and Listed Storm Bird Stakes.
Exported to Dubai, Soft Falling Rain went on to win his next three starts including the G2 Godolphin Mile (he was the first 3yo ever to do so) and G3 UAE 2000 Guineas.

The bay, who eventually won group/graded races in three different countries, also scored a smashing three and a half length win in Newmarket’s G2 Nayef Joel Stakes, where he accounted for, among others, the group winners Montiridge, Premio Loco, and Penintent.

Soft Falling Rain, who hailed from the same female line as Kentucky Oaks winner Gal In A Ruckus and dual US champion sire Smart Strike among many other top class international performers, was produced by the winning Giant’s Causeway mare Gardener’s Delight –which made the Highlands bred champion a half-brother to all of G2 winner Let It Rain, Hong Kong scorer My Nephew Eric and G3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap runner up Splendid Garden.

Another half-brother to Soft Falling Rain, Spirit Of Song, recently shed his maiden at Kenilworth over 1200m.

The much missed Soft Falling Rain, who sadly passed away after suffering a severe colic attack last year, will be represented by seven lots at next month’s Cape Yearling Sale.