King's Stand preview Mike de Kock is confident Shea Shea can become the first South African-trained Royal Ascot winner in history as he goes for glory in Tuesday's King's Stand Stakes. De Kock is rightly regarded as a master of his craft on the world stage, having landed multiple top-level prizes all over the globe during the last decade. The trainer is always a particularly potent force at the Dubai Carnival at Meydan, but a winner at Britain's summer showpiece meeting still eludes him. Shea Shea certainly has the credentials to break De Kock's duck, having smashed the Meydan track record with a blistering display of speed in the Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night in March. The trainer believes his charge has plenty going for him ahead of his Royal assignment and is keeping his fingers crossed the six-year-old can get the job done in the hands of French-based Belgian Christophe Soumillon. De Kock said: "His work has always been good. In Dubai when we worked him he flew. He was also training while in quarantine, albeit not as hard as normal. "I actually think the uphill finish might suit him as he gets going late, but even though he broke the track record twice at Meydan, South Africa has yet to have a winner at Royal Ascot. "Ascot will be different to what he's used to but he has been to the July Course to work and up the Long Hill gallop so he has had a good go at undulations. Horses cope with most of things we throw at them. "He's happy, his coat is good, he's eating well and his work has been exceptional. I'm hoping he is in good form. His best form has been on fast ground, though I'm told he has won on soft. Dubai was very fast and firm and he liked that. "Christophe Soumillon has a good feel for the horse. It would be great to have the win on the CV but if you look at his form, including in South Africa, he's either won or come nowhere. There's no grey area in between so we hope it's another win at Ascot."
