Cough excuse for Shea Shea Shea Shea was reported to have coughed following his disappointing run in the King's Stand Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot. Mike de Kock's charge was narrowly beaten by Sole Power in the five-furlong heat last year but could finish no better than 11th, beaten over seven lengths, behind his old rival this time. However, according to De Kock's website, the seven-year-old was coughing after the race. The trainer said: "This goes some way to explaining this run and we will be keeping a close eye on him." While Shea Shea disappointed, De Kock was satisfied with Soft Falling Rain's effort in finishing a four-length sixth behind Toronado in the Queen Anne Stakes after a troubled preparation. De Kock said: "As noted he didn't have an ideal preparation at all, he ran a temperature and as a result we lost 10 days of work which is vital at this level. Considering this he put up a credible showing. "We'll see how he pulls up and look at our options; there are no firm plans for his next race."
