Soft Falling Rain beats elders n Godolphin Mile
Mar 30, 2013 9:15:33 GMT -5
Post by Jon on Mar 30, 2013 9:15:33 GMT -5
No surprise!
Soft Falling Rain beats elders in Godolphin Mile
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Soft Falling Rain showed the courage of an unbeaten champion to defeat older horses in Saturday's Group 2, $1 million Godolphin Mile at Meydan. Sweating up beforehand, and parked out wide from post 13, the Mike de Kock pupil stayed on gamely down the stretch to deny 52-1 longshot Haatheq, another Sheikh Hamdan colorbearer. Aside from spearheading a one-two finish for his owner, Soft Falling Rain become the first three-year-old ever to win this kick-off to the Thoroughbred action on World Cup night.
The champion two-year-old in his native South Africa, Soft Falling Rain won both of his starts at the Carnival, the January 17 U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas Trial and the Group 3 U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas last time out February 14. The son of National Assembly had shown so much speed as to create doubts about his stamina, so connections chose to stick to a metric mile here, and try his elders, instead of stepping up in trip for the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby. Bettors stuck with him, hammering him into 8-5 favoritism,
In the early stages, Soft Falling Rain did not show his customary dash, but found himself settled off the pace and hung out wide. Alpha, sporting a visor, charged through from his rail post to make the running, but was overtaken by Haatheq, who forged to the front in a bold gambit.
Meanwhile, Soft Falling Rain was responding to the urgings of Paul Hanagan, and soon emerged as the only threat to upset-minded Haatheq. Clawing back the yards in a display of grim determination, he reeled in Haatheq by three-quarters of a length. The final time was 1:39.97, indicating that the Tapeta was playing much deeper than previously in the Carnival.
Godolphin's Moonwalk in Paris, who had to alter course around a one-paced Alpha in the lane, rallied for third another length astern. French invader Sarkilya got up for fourth. Alpha held fifth, followed by Rerouted, Surfer, Pentient, Saamidd, Capital Attraction, Barbecue Eddie, Mufarrh, Zazou, Time Prisoner, Master of Hounds and Red Jazz.
Soft Falling Rain is now a perfect seven-for-seven with $844,258 in earnings.
www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/news/article.cgi?id=35493&from=656
Soft Falling Rain beats elders in Godolphin Mile
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Soft Falling Rain showed the courage of an unbeaten champion to defeat older horses in Saturday's Group 2, $1 million Godolphin Mile at Meydan. Sweating up beforehand, and parked out wide from post 13, the Mike de Kock pupil stayed on gamely down the stretch to deny 52-1 longshot Haatheq, another Sheikh Hamdan colorbearer. Aside from spearheading a one-two finish for his owner, Soft Falling Rain become the first three-year-old ever to win this kick-off to the Thoroughbred action on World Cup night.
The champion two-year-old in his native South Africa, Soft Falling Rain won both of his starts at the Carnival, the January 17 U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas Trial and the Group 3 U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas last time out February 14. The son of National Assembly had shown so much speed as to create doubts about his stamina, so connections chose to stick to a metric mile here, and try his elders, instead of stepping up in trip for the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby. Bettors stuck with him, hammering him into 8-5 favoritism,
In the early stages, Soft Falling Rain did not show his customary dash, but found himself settled off the pace and hung out wide. Alpha, sporting a visor, charged through from his rail post to make the running, but was overtaken by Haatheq, who forged to the front in a bold gambit.
Meanwhile, Soft Falling Rain was responding to the urgings of Paul Hanagan, and soon emerged as the only threat to upset-minded Haatheq. Clawing back the yards in a display of grim determination, he reeled in Haatheq by three-quarters of a length. The final time was 1:39.97, indicating that the Tapeta was playing much deeper than previously in the Carnival.
Godolphin's Moonwalk in Paris, who had to alter course around a one-paced Alpha in the lane, rallied for third another length astern. French invader Sarkilya got up for fourth. Alpha held fifth, followed by Rerouted, Surfer, Pentient, Saamidd, Capital Attraction, Barbecue Eddie, Mufarrh, Zazou, Time Prisoner, Master of Hounds and Red Jazz.
Soft Falling Rain is now a perfect seven-for-seven with $844,258 in earnings.
www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/news/article.cgi?id=35493&from=656