DUBAI World Cup night winners Animal Kingdom, Shea Shea (photo) and Soft Falling Rain heads a stellar international entry for Royal Ascot.
Horses from 12 countries were entered across the seven Group 1 races for the five-day royal meeting that will be staged this year from June 18.
In all there were 367 entries to the Group 1 races, which is the highest figure for the past five seasons.
“We are delighted with the number of entries, the range of countries that they represent and the overall quality,” said Nick Smith, Head of Communications and International Racing at Ascot.
Shea Shea, who was a scintillating winner of the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Racecourse last month, could run in the King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs in a bid to hand Mike De Kock a maiden victory in front of Queen Elizabeth. De Kock has also entered Soft Falling Rain, the impressive Godolphin Mile victor, into the Diamond Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs in which Shea Shea could also run.
Krypton Factor and Cirrus Des Aigles, winners of the Dubai Golden Shaheen and Dubai Sheema Classic in 2012, also have entries respectively to the Diamond Jubilee and Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.
“It’s particularly good to see Mike De Kock planning to have runners for South Africa after another tremendous Dubai Carnival,” Smith said.
2 Comments
I rate soft falling rain and believe one of the better horses I have seen from SA breeding perspectives.You also have one of the more superior hands in hanagan I personally believe his last ride taken the draw and traffic problems into account could have won by 5 lenghts
Can’t wait for the Jubilee.SFR has 37 winners out of his sprinting races in SA.Would have loved to see Variety Club in the Royal Hunt Cup on 19 June.Hope David Livingston wins like him.