Mike De Kock says Soft Falling Rain might not run at Ascot – Horseracing news
Mike De Kock has revealed that his quality stallion Soft Falling Rain might not take part in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot, as he deserves some rest after a tough race last time.
According to the veteran trainer, “His last run took quite a bit out of him, he had quite a hard race. I thought it was a huge win and he'd have to up his game here, and I don't want to run him until I'm sure he's 100 per cent. I think the Diamond Jubilee
or the July Cup could be options, he's got plenty of speed.”
In his previous outing, the four-year-old colt entered as a favourite with a starting price of 9 to 4 and it seemed that no one would manage to trouble him at all. However, things did not work out as planned and he had to earn his victory in the end.
Soft Falling Rain was unable to make an aggressive start, which put him under some pressure. Despite that, he continued to make up places and got into a strong position towards the final few yards. Although he had to push extremely hard, he managed to take
the lead eventually and finished first by a narrow margin.
This was the sixth victory for the South African stallion and it was probably the hardest one for him. However, the good thing for his owners was that he maintained his 100 percent winning record and stayed out of any major trouble.
In his absence, stable mate Shea Shea will now be representing De Kock in the race. He is also a quality performer and has made his team proud on numerous occasions.
Therefore, the trainer added, “He's quite a nice horse, big, strong and powerful and he dealt with things better than Soft Falling Rain. He's still got to do a job, and I was happy with how he galloped on the July course, he did a good piece of fast work.”
Although Shea Shea has not been able to win all of his races, yet his performances have been quite consistent. He has appeared in a total of eight events, winning six of them. Moreover, his performances in the ongoing season have been terrific, which will
help him get the attention of the bookies for the Ascot race.
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