Soft Falling Rain
One of our top horses of recent years used the Listed Storm Bird Stakes run at Turffontein on Saturday as his platform to greater things.
The Mike De Kock-trained Soft Falling Rain won the race in 2012 at his third career start in the hands of Tshwaro Appie .
The Equus Champion 2yo Colt of that season was bred by Highlands Farms and was a R350 000 purchase at the 2011 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
Soft Falling Rain reeled off four wins, from as many starts, at two, culminating in a four length romp in the Gr1 SA Nursery.
Exported to Dubai, the colt won his first three starts culminating in an impressive and historic win in the Gr2 Godolphin Mile. Soft Falling Rain, who had previously won the Gr3 UAE 2000 Guineas, was the first 3yo ever to win the Godolphin Mile, and subsequently ran second in the same race, to fellow South African champion Variety Club, the following year.
Following his Dubai stint, Soft Falling Rain was campaigned in Britain, where he ran second in the Gr2 Betfred Hungerford Stakes before winning the Group 2 Nayef Joel Stakes by an impressive three and a half lengths.
He ended his career having won or placed in ten of his 13 outings, and won from 1000-1600m.
Soft Falling Rain has the pedigree to match his fine race record. He is a son of the late Highlands Farm based sire National Assembly, whose 16 Grade 1 winners also include leading sire National Emblem (whose offspring include ten Grade 1 winners).
Soft Falling Rain retired to stand at Wilgerbosdrift in 2014.
