Rain may have sunk Shea Shea’s chances
YORK — Trainer Mike de Kock put on a brave face as Shea Shea ran well but again failed to take top honours in the grade 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes on Friday. The former South African champion sprinter finished second and now heads to Paris for the Prix de L’Abbaye in October.
Shrugging his shoulders as Frankie Dettori brought Shea Shea back to the No 2 box, De Kock said: “Things haven’t exactly gone right for us recently, but we’ll go for the Abbaye. Given our current luck, it'll probably come up soft.”
The sudden overnight rain on Thursday night may have scuppered Shea Shea’s chance of notching up that elusive grade 1 win in the UK. He goes best on fast ground and the going was changed to good-to-soft.
“I think the rain made the difference — that’s what Frankie Dettori said,” De Kock said. “But it is not an excuse — he has finished second and run well. He has held his form and there is never much between Shea Shea and (thirdplaced) Sole Power,” he said.
As far as Paris in October is concerned, De Kock said: “The time frame is good, but it can get soft there."
To the consternation of most punters, victory in the Nunthorpe went to 40-1 shot Jwala, who was given little chance by the majority of pundits. Trained by Robert Cowell and ridden by Steve Drowne, Jwala’s task looked huge as only three weeks ago she fractured an eye socket. She had finished last at Goodwood after being injured in the starting stalls.
For Drowne, the comeback was even more notable as — after passing out in his garden — he faced a 12-month battle to pass the medical tests that all jockeys need to do after any illness.
“Everyone knows the problems I had and I’m just glad to be back,” said Drowne, who got his mount home by half a length from Shea Shea (the 3-1 favourite) with Sole Power (4-1) a short head away third.
Although Robert Cowell is not a familiar name in the training ranks, he said he was confident of a big run in the Nunthorpe.
“It’s not really a surprise. She is uncomplicated, has a huge turn of foot and a high cruising speed. Those are the ingredients you need for a real good sprinter.
“At Goodwood, she went down in the gate, lifted her head and ended up punch drunk. It has been a big effort given what happened,” Cowell said. “Luckily, it was a long way from the heart and she’s got a big heart.”
The first three home are to meet again in Paris, after which Jwala is likely to be retired to stud.
Sole Power's trainer, Eddie Lynam, said: “The ground beat him but we kind of knew beforehand it would. It has happened the last few times at York, but he has run well and I’m proud of him.
“He will go to Paris for the Abbaye,” he said.
The shock result was the third in the Nunthorpe in the past four years. Sole Power won at 100-1 in 2010, Margot Did was 20-1 when Hayley Turner won the race in 2011, and this year's victor, Jwala, was returned at 40-1. But Aussie raider Ortensia was a popular winner at 7-2 last year.
Overnight rain meant six horses were withdrawn from the other big race on the York programme, Saturday’s Betfred Ebor Handicap with a first prize of £155,000.
Sir Michael Stoute’s well-fancied runner, Opinion, lost his chance when refusing to jump with the rest of the field and it was jockey Tom Queally — the rider of superstar Frankel — who found the best finish on four-year-old Tiger Cliff. Trained by Lady Cecil — the widow of Sir Henry Cecil — Tiger Cliff was having only the seventh start of his career and quickened smartly inside the final 200m to overhaul the long-time leader, Genzy.