Dettori lands plum Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes ride

Shea Shea primed for the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes. Image copyright of racingfotos.com.

South African sprint star Shea Shea, who landed the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on Dubai World Cup Night in March and has since started favourite for both the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Darley July Cup at Newmarket, will be ridden by Frankie Dettori in next Friday’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York, it was confirmed this morning.

The Nunthorpe should be the perfect race for Shea Shea and having been collared late on by Sole Power in the King’s Stand Stakes after looking all over the winner with a furlong to run, he must have a serious chance of giving Dettori his first big race triumph in almost a year.

York’s flat five furlongs should be perfect for the Mike De Kock-trained sprinter, who found the uphill climb to the Ascot winning post a step too far before the six furlongs at Newmarket saw him finish fourth to Lethal Force.

Dettori, who has been offered the ride after usual pilot Christophe Soumillon was ruled out through suspension, needs a Group 1 win badly.

He was denied by a short-head on Olympic Glory in the Prix Jacques Le Marois on Sunday, but has otherwise been lacking strong firepower in the top races.

Having split with Godolphin and served a six-month ban for drugs, his season only started on 31 May and it is now in need of his trademark flying dismount after a big-race success.

De Kock’s temporary Newmarket stable is in fine form after David Livingston won last Saturday’s Rose of Lancaster Stakes and he is confident that Shea Shea will run a big race.

"He’s doing well, his coat looks good and he should be at his best for the race," he told his website.

"It’s an easier five furlongs than the one at Ascot where he was beaten late by Sole Power, so we’re hoping it will suit him perfectly."

He will face a rematch with his Ascot conqueror, Sole Power, who won the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes in 2010.

Other potential opponents include Moviesta, Reckless Abandon and Kingsgate Native.

If you would like to be at York to see both the Coolmore Nunthorpe and Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Lonsdale Cup on Friday 23 August, then you can get in FREE if you bring four friends with you. Check out our Share Your Passion pages for more details.