SOFT  Falling Rain kept his unbeaten record intact with a 4,50-length success in  Saturday’s Gr1 SA Nursery over 1160m on Champions Day, reeling off his fourth successive win and confirming the stable’s pre-race assessment that he is “getting better and better”.

Sheikh Hamdan of Dubai’s handsome two-year-old son of National Assembly outpaced his rivals with his big, fluent stride after taking up the running at the 500m pole in the hands of Anton Marcus.

This was Soft Falling Rain’s last run in South Africa as he will soon be going into quarantine in Cape Town with Igugu and other leading stable runners to be shipped to Dubai via Mauritius, as announced recently.

Mike commented: “It is sad that he will be leaving our shores, but a horse like this will fly the flag for South Africa abroad and be an asset to his sire and his stud farm. Thanks to Sheik Hamdan and Angus (Gold, of Shadwell), for their support and well done with this success. Soft Falling Rain is a very scopy horse and we believe he will see out a mile easy.”

Marcus, who enjoyed Soft Falling Rain’s running freely and powerfully, said:  “Thanks to the De Kock team for the ride, I picked it up at a late stage. There’s not much to add. The way he did it is self-explanatory. It was impressive.”

Soft Falling Rain is a Highlands-bred son of National Assembly and the Giant’s Causeway-mare, Gardener’s Delight.  A R350,000 yearling from the inaugural Cape Premier Sale, he has already earned R496,000 in stakes.

Photo by JC Photographics.