With all the focus justifiably on the stakes races at last weekend’s Kenilworth meeting, it would be easy to dismiss Waterberry Lane’s sparkling win in the final race of the day.
A juvenile winner of the Gr2 Golden Horseshoe, the talented three-year-old has yet to taste defeat in two starts this season. He opened his sophomore campaign on a winning note when making all over 1400m at Durbanville early last month and impressed in his first appearance at Kenilworth, winning with the minimum of fuss over the same distance.
Waterberry Lane is led in under Keagan de Melo by Young One Skeyi & Steve Thwalani (Pic- Chase Liebenberg)
In the post-race interview, trainer Dean Kannemeyer makes no secret of the fact that he rates his charge highly: “It was a good win first time out at Durbanville from the front, considering no one wanted to set the pace. This time I told my jockey, whatever you do, don’t take this horse to the front. He is a colt with a lot of potential and I’m earmarking the Guineas for him. He is growing the right way and has furnished well. There is a lot of Fort Wood about him.”
Dean was of course referring to the colt’s dam Gain Ground, a daughter of the champion stallion, who ruled supreme at Mauritzfontein Stud.
Waterberry Lane was bred by sister stud Wilgerbosdrift and was purchased at last year’s Mistico Sale. “Mr Rattray said to me, just find me a nice horse and he fitted the bill. He was a very nice colt, with a particularly good hind leg.”
Mike & Norma Rattray
Waterberry Lane races for stalwart owners Mike and Norma Rattray, whose familiar red and white quartered silks have been worn with distinction by such standouts as Horse of the Year recipients Yard-Arm, Celtic Grove and Rainbow Bridge.
Rattray is of course the founder and past-owner of the famed Lammerskraal Stud, where Waterberry Lane’s grandam Forge Ahead was bred. By Parade Leader, she is a half-sister to the Champion stayer Long Dollar and to the stakes winners Polar Bound and Bound To Travel.
Waterberry Lane hails from the penultimate crop of the short-lived Soft Falling Rain.
The son of National Assembly entered stud at Wilgerbosdrift following a star-studded career during which he proved himself a world class-sprinter-miler.
Owned by Shadwell and trained throughout his career by Mike de Kock, he was voted the country’s champion juvenile following an undefeated four-race season, the highlight of which a fluent victory in the Gr1 SA Nursery at Turffontein.
Exported to Dubai, he stretched his perfect record to seven with impressive scores in the Gr2 Godolphin Mile, Gr3 UAE 2000 Guineas and Guineas Trial. Off the track for eight months, he tasted defeat for the first time in his English debut when runner-up in the Gr2 Hungerford Stakes. He promptly bounced back in the Gr2 Nayef Joel Stakes at Newmarket and in what was for many his finest racetrack performance, the colt displayed a devastating turn of foot to leave his rivals trailing.
The ill-fated Soft Falling Rain in action (Pic- Wilgerbosdrift)
Sadly, Softly Falling Rain’s stud career proved all too brief and was limited to just four crops before his untimely death at the age of just nine. Quick to make an impact, he wired 14 individual first crop winners, amongst which the Gr2 Debutante victress Montreal Mist and Gr2-placed duo Gin Fizz and Alramz.
Soft Falling Rain has since added to that Waterberry Lane, fellow Gr2 winner Heavens Girl and Gr3 winner World Radar. Listed stakes winner Pray For Rain chased home champion Tempting Fate in the Gr1 Gold Medallion, while the admirable Marmara Sea put together a faultless-eight-race win streak which included the first of two renewals of the Listed Memorial Mile.
According to his trainer, the Gr2 Concorde Cup on 20 November could serve as the next stepping stone towards the Guineas for Waterberry Lane.
Wouldn’t it be fitting if Waterberry Lane became his much-missed sire’s first Gr1 winner and also reward his 90-year-old owner with a first success in the time-honoured classic?
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