MIKE de Kock has put three names in the hat for the Group 1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket, England, on Saturday 13 July – Shea Shea (headline photo), Kavanagh and Soft Falling Rain.
“Shea Shea will run first at Royal Ascot and we will take it from there,” said De Kock. “He is a low-actioned horse so I am not too sure how he would deal with the undulations and maybe some cut in the ground, but we still have every intention of running him in the July Cup.
“Soft Falling Rain had a tough campaign in Dubai and is a young horse who currently is at a slight weight-for-age disadvantage (because of being bred to southern hemisphere time) so he is not guaranteed to go to Royal Ascot. There is a strong possibility that he could go straight to Newmarket.
“I believe that he will handle the drop back to 1200m. He has the speed and can also produce a sustained finish off a hard pace. In winning the Godolphin Mile he showed both talent and heart, which is a rare combination.”
Kavanagh first runs in the KrisFlyer Sprint at Kranji in Singapore this coming weekend.
Assistant trainer Mathew de Kock said on Saturday: “He’s been doing well and Rocket Man’s absence helps our chances. We’re confident of a good run.”
