Sole Power and Shea Shea stand out amongst 27 entries for the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes

Sole Power wins the Kings’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Shea Shea and Sole Power, two of the world’s best five furlong sprinters, know each other well.

They have met four times this year and Friday’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday, race five in the Sprint division of the QIPCO British Champions Series, looks set to be round five.

Shea Shea, trained by South African Mike De Kock and currently housed in stables in Newmarket, leads 3-1 and on a track which should suit his style of running, he must have a great chance of making it 4-1.

If he wins, it will mean a first Group 1 success of the year for jockey Frankie Dettori, who has landed the ride thanks to usual pilot Christophe Soumillon’s suspension.

They met twice in Dubai on the flat five furlong turf track at Meydan and both times Shea Shea was 2 1/2 lengths superior to his Eddie Lynam-trained rival.

Sole Power gained revenge in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, collaring Shea Shea with a storming late run after the latter had looked certain to win.

The uphill climb to the winning post was a big factor in Sole Power’s favour that day, somethng which he won’t have at York.

They met for a fourth time when trying six furlongs in the Darley July Cup when they were separated by a head with Shea Shea in fourth and Sole Power fifth behind the impressive winner, Lethal Force.

Everything points to a Shea Shea victory on Friday, but Sole Power has won this race before, way back in 2010, when he was sent off at 100-1 but belied those odds to win impressively.

Both of them would want fast ground to be seen at their best and on ratings they are nicely clear of their rivals.

Stiffest opposition may comes from the likes of Betfred Temple Stakes winner, Kingsgate Native (a race in which Sole Power disappointed), the improving Heerat, and Moviesta and Swiss Spirit, who finished first and second in the Betfred King George Stakes at Goodwood.

The final declarations will be known on Wednesday morning.