Wilgerbosdrift’s exciting young sire Soft Falling Rain has not one but two siblings seeking graded race glory on Sansui Summer Cup day at Turffontein this Saturday.
His half-brother Splendid Garden is one of 18 runners set to contest the G2 World Sports Betting Merchants over 1160m, with the son of Black Minnaloushe set to be partnered by jockey JP Van Der Merwe in the R450 000 sprint.
Soft Falling Rain is also a half-brother to recent Listed Java Handicap winner Let It Rain (sired by the Wilgerbosdrift bred champion Dynasty). The latter, who accounted for Saturday’s Listed Lanzerac Le General Kenilworth Cup hero Kinaan when victorious in the Java, is a runner in the day’s R2.5 million G1 Sansui Summer Cup.
Let It Rain, Splendid Garden and Soft Falling Rain are all out of the winning mare Gardener’s Delight, whose champion sire Giant’s Causeway also ranks as the broodmare sire of 2017 G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Gun Runner.
Soft Falling Rain, South Africa’s Equus Champion 2YO of 2012 and a feature race winner in three different countries, has some exceptional first crop yearlings on offer this season.
Among the mares with yearlings to sell by the champion son of National Assembly are Rose Of Tralee (dam of Dubai G2 winner Forries Waltz), G3 Umzimkhulu Stakes winner Express Queen, Dynasty’s Oaks placed sister Clandestine, Listed Perfect Promise Sprint winner Kitti Cat, Var’s stakes winning daughter Esterel, and the regally bred Singspiel mare Atlantic Oak.