Multiple Gr1 winner Soqrat to stud after VDJ

ONE of the very best of his generation, the Australian-bred treble Gr1 winner Soqrat is set for a swansong appearance in Africa’s greatest horseracing event, the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July, before standing his freshman season at the Armitage family’s Sandown Stud in the Western Cape.

A 3 x Gr1 winner under the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum and Mike de Kock banner from 1160m to 1800m in a career that spanned his 2yo to 4yo seasons, the handsomely athletic Grandson of Danehill had the honour of achieving a superior rating to his internationally-bound champion stablemate Hawwaam in his final season.

An Equus Champion 2yo, Soqrat’s successes at the highest level included a facile victory in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over a mile as a 2yo, when he had fellow 2020 July prospect Twist Of Fate, well beaten.

He then went on to again defeat Twist Of Fate and 2020 Sun Met winner One World in the prestigious Gr1 Cape Guineas five months later, before following up with his first success in his home province when winning the Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein.

A horse who competed at the highest level with distinction, Soqrat was narrowly second in all of SA’s prestigious weight-for-age mile, the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate behind SA Horse Of The Year Do It Again, the 1800m Gr1 Champions Cup behind Sun Met winner and current Durban July favourite Rainbow Bridge, and in the 2000m Gr1 Summer Cup, when going down under a half length to Zillzaal, to whom he was conceding 7,5kgs.

At his most recent start, Soqrat went second to Hawwaam in the Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge.

Currently the third-highest rated active racehorse in Africa at 132, Soqrat’s graded victories were achieved on four different left and right-handed turf racetracks across the length and breadth of South Africa, from a mile to 1800m and was twice second in Gr1 company over 2000m.

Multiple champion trainer Mike de Kock is on record as suggesting that Soqrat shouldn’t have stayed on breeding.

“He’s by Epaulette, who is a sprinting sire. He’s just one of those freakish horses – he works, runs, eats and is sound as a bell. He just does the job.”

Soqrat is sired by Commands stallion Epaulette, whose wins included the Gr1 Golden Rose and Gr1 Doomben Ten Thousand. He is out of the dual winning Hussonet mare Elzeeza, and is from the immediate family of French 2000 Guineas and champion sire Linamix. – Sporting Post.