Saturday, 28 July was a red letter day in South Africa for Darley stallions as they sired the first two home in the G1 Premiers Champion Stakes. Both bred from their first Australian crops and trained by Mike de Kock, it was Epaulette’s son Soqrat that swept down the outside to defeat Alyaasaat (Dawn Approach) in the one-mile juvenile contest at Greyville.
Both the first and second are owned and bred by Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stud, with the winner being out of the Hussonet mare Elzeeza. Hailing from the extended family of top Hong Kong sprinter Lucky Bubbles, Elzeeza has also sired the juvenile winner Akhlaaq (Hard Spun).
Soqrat becomes Epaulette’s third juvenile Group winner to come from his first Australian crop after Khulaasa and Meryl, a figure that cannot be beaten by any Danehill-line stallion in the southern hemisphere. Drawing level with Exceed And Excel, he is now one Group winner clear of his grandsire Danehill. He will be standing this coming season at a fee of $27,500 inc GST alongside Dawn Approach ($19,250) at Kelvinside, NSW.
