Soqrat blows them away in the Guineas
SOQRAT or Hawwaam, which one is top of the sophomore pile at this stage of the season? Only Mike de Kock and his stable know as Soqrat disposed of a high class Gr1 Cape Guineas field at Kenilworth yesterday.
Under Randall Simons, Soqrat quickened smartly at the two-furlong marker to fetch pacemaker Twist Of Fate and a struggling One World to win going away for his second Gr 1 victory.
Hawwaam
Hawwaam, a super impressive winner of the Gr2 Dingaans, was expected to make his way south for the Guineas, but instead it was Soqrat that arrived for duty and did not disappoint in spite of a day’s delay in the karoo after a not so unexpected traffic pile-up.
What won him the race? Temperament, according Simons.
“He is a three-year-old but behaves like a six-year-old. Nothing fazes him.”
“We were quietly confident,” said Matthew de Kock, assistant to his father who is currently overseeing his Dubai Carnival runners, “although we weren’t expecting a wham.”
“When he got onto the fence, I heaved a sigh.
“They had gone slow and I knew he could really turn it on. Then I was confident,” said De Kock.
Twist Of Fate stayed on for second but One World seemed to find the mile a furlong too far in this company and was unable to peg back Twist Of Fate, and Soqrat had him cold a long way out.
Next?
“We will look at the Queen’s to Plate, but we will let the horse guide us,” concluded De Kock.
One World may have lost his unbeaten record in the Guineas but Front And Centre kept hers in style in the filly’s equivalent.
“To be honest, I was super confident today,” said Brett Crawford who celebrates every win on his sleeve.
Front And Centre
Front And Centre didn’t let him down as she stormed to a bloodless victory in the Gr1 World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas.
Not for nothing has Anton Marcus ridden 101 Gr1 victories in a career spanning over three decades.
He was beaten by better horses in the Guineas but he still showed why his services are in demand as he gave Front And Centre the perfect ride, at the same time riding shotgun on what he assumed was his main rival in Clouds Unfold.
With Silvano’s Pride setting useful early fractions under Richard Fourie, Marcus had Clouds Unfold penned in on the rail three or four off the pace.
At the top of the straight Marcus forced Aldo Domeyer into a pocket before setting sail for home.
Front And Centre quickly got the better of a game Silvano’s Pride but Domeyer was forced to take drastic action to extricate himself from the traffic and took three or four runners with him as he desperately hunted the gap.
Clouds Unfold
Clouds Unfold did well to get up and fill the shallow end of the purse.
“This was her litmus test,” said Marcus of the still unbeaten Front And Centre.
“It was a win full of merit and I think that’s she’s even better than this.”