Soqrat brings shine to the Vaal

Popular music acts and other jollifications are lined up to pull in a decent crowd, but the presence of equine royalty in the form of brilliant colt Soqrat is the major drawcard for racegoers.

A multiple Grade 1 winner, Mike de Kock’s charge might well be the highest-rated horse to grace the Vaal turf and he looks an obvious banker for exotic bets. The rest of the card is competitive, so the hopes of thousands of punters will gallop with Soqrat as he contests the 1800m Victory Moon – named after the heroic horse that made a name for De Kock and South African racing with unforgettable victories in Dubai 15 years ago.

New sponsors in racing, construction companies Socrasync and Toro Ya Africa, are backing the weekend festivities on the banks of the Vaal River near Vereeniging and racing operators Phumelela have played their part in a lucrative new deal by amending their venue schedule to put on classy fare.

The two building contractors first entered the game with sponsorship of the recent Algoa Cup in Port Elizabeth.

Soqrat, at the tender age of four, is already seasoned at travelling around the country and competing – with distinction – against the very best racehorses. So, a 50km trip down the highway from his barn at Randjesfontein to the banks of the Vaal River is unlikely to phase the Australian-bred.

Some pundits might question whether Soqrat can stay 1800m, but his performance in finishing a close second to Rainbow Bridge over the trip in the Garde 1 Champions’ Cup at Greyville in July is evidence that he can. The son of Epaulette is now a bit more mature and was full of running in a recent facile 1600m Pinnacle Stakes victory at Turffontein.

This race is a preparation run for several candidates for the Summer Cup in three weeks’ time, so the opposition is not too shabby. However, there is nothing in the field with anything like the class of Soqrat.

The 12-10 ante-post odds will probably be cut by race time, while his 9-1 price for the 2000m Summer Cup could also be history if he wins well.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.