Wilgerbosdrift’s short-lived sire Soft Falling Rain has made a very positive impression with his first 2yos this season, and the former Equus Champion was at it again on Thursday, when his first-crop son Al Jahbath made a winning debut at the Vaal racecourse.
Trained by Mike de Kock and owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum (as was Soft Falling Rain himself), Al Jahbath justified tote favouritism when scoring a courageous first out win over older rivals when victorious over 1000m on Thursday.
The Shadwell Stud bred gelding held on gamely in a thrilling finish to score a short head win on debut and he looks another useful sort to have emerged from Soft Falling Rain’s first crop.
Out of a daughter of Var (as are fellow Soft Falling Rain winners Alramz and Montreal Mist), Al Jahbath is the sixth first crop winner for former G1 SA Nursery winner Soft Falling Rain, whose other notable first crop winners include G3 Pretty Polly Stakes runner up Gin Fizz, and debut winner Mawsool and Alramz. The latter will bid to become his sire’s first G1 winner when he lines up in Saturday’s G1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion this weekend.
At the time of writing, Soft Falling Rain ranks as South Africa’s second Leading First Crop Sire of winners for the 2018-2019 season.