Age stat a negative for Shea Shea and Sole Power in King’s Stand

Victories for Prohibit and Little Bridge in the last two years have given a degree of dominance to six-year-old entrants into the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot of late.

However, rather than a positive, this could be to the detriment of this age group in 2013, which includes fancied duo Shea Shea and Sole Power.

The pair are two of the top three in the betting, with South African raider Shea Shea the ante-post 9/4 favourite and Sole Power third best at 10/1.

The reason for the negativity is not since 1983 has the same age group won this 5f sprint on three occasions in succession.

Another negative for the favourite is that even though British-trained runners have only won four of the last 11 renewals of this contest, the two South African combatants in this period were both beaten.

This bodes well for the chances of 5/1 second favourite Reckless Abandon, who is expected to come on from his seasonal reappearance when third in the Temple Stakes last time.

But it could be significant that the last eight winners of the King’s Stand Stakes all finished in the first two on their previous start, while only one three-year-old has won since 2002.

Furthermore, nine of the last 11 winners had already been successful in the same season before arriving at Royal Ascot.

One horse that fits these trends is Kingsgate Native at 14/1, but the seven horses to have tried to do this double with the Temple Stakes in the last decade have all failed.

Thus, preference is for Australian raider Shamexpress at 12/1, particularly after a victory in Group 1 company last time.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.