Champion Gauteng sprinter Shea Shea is on the move and is to join the many top South African horses bound for overseas assignments.

Shea Shea has been ruled out of a trip to Scottsville in Pietermaritzburg for a defence of his G1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint crown as trainer Geoff Woodruff says the four-year-old National Emblem gelding would hopefully be out of the country.

Shea Shea won the Golden Horse Casino Sprint last year and most recently was an impressive winner of the G1 Computaform Sprint at Turffontein.

Woodruff said he is looking to taking Shea Shea to Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai “or wherever the big sprints are.”

The gelding will follow other top horses destined for international competition like Igugu, Gimmethegreenlight and Variety Club.

With the current ban on the export of South African horses due to African Horse Sickness under review and expected to be eased or lifted in the months ahead, the number of South Africa's top horses being shipped overseas through whatever quarantine procedures are required is likely to increase.

As in past years, this will undoubtedly affect the quality of local racing however, it will be a boon for the South African breeders producing horses of international standard that can compete on the world stage.