Saturday saw Ascot Racecourse host the 2024 edition of the Shergar Cup. Teams representing Great Britain & Ireland, Europe, the Rest of the World, and the Ladies did battle in Berkshire.
The four teams consisted of three riders, each slated to ride in five of the six handicap contests on the card, with points available down to fifth place in each event. The leading team at the end of the card would claim bragging rights in one of the most distinctive events of the season and raise the Shergar Cup aloft.
The Teams
- Great Britain & Ireland – Tadhg O’Shea, Seamie Heffernan, Billy Loughnane
- Europe – Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, Alberto Sanna, Jose-Luis Borrego
- Rest of the World – Rachel King, Rachel Venniker, Nanko Fujita
- Ladies – Hayley Turner, Saffie Osborne, Marie Velon
Rest of the World Strike First in Dash
With the top four in the market priced between 4/1 and 5/1, the opening 5f contest looked a wide-open affair on paper. However, the late money proved telling as, having claimed outright favouritism, the Rachel Venniker-ridden Holkham Bay strode clear for an authoritative success. First blood to the Rest of the World, but the hosts also enjoyed a solid start, with Billy Loughnane and Tadhg O’Shea finishing second and third.
Points Table after Race 1
- Rest of the World – 20
- Great Britain & Ireland – 17
- Ladies – 3
- Europe – 0
Turner Hands Ladies First Success
As the most successful rider in Shergar Cup history, it would have taken a brave punter to back against Hayley Turner grabbing at least one winner. Stone cold last aboard Muker in the opener, the Ladies’ team captain bounced back with a perfectly judged front-running ride aboard Andrew Balding’s Ranch Hand in Race 2. Great Britain & Ireland moved to the top of the leaderboard thanks to Seamie Heffernan in second, but with Marie Velon finishing fourth, this race propelled the Ladies into contention.
Points Table after Race 2
- Great Britain & Ireland – 27
- Ladies – 23
- Rest of the World – 20
- Europe – 10
Kings Combine for ROW Success
The Alan King-trained Insanity was one of Rachel King’s best chances on the card, having finished a solid second over course and distance last time. A furlong out, it seemed only a matter of how far Insanity would win by, as he cantered into contention under an ice-cool King. In the end, Jose-Luis Borrego and Dream Harder threw down a game challenge, but Insanity prevailed by a head. This was a good race for Europe – who filled second and third – but a setback for the Ladies, who drew a blank.
Points Table after Race 3
- Great Britain & Ireland – 35
- Rest of the World – 35
- Europe – 27
- Ladies – 23
Home Team Running Away With It?
The allocation of runners on Shergar Cup day is designed to give each team a theoretically even chance of winning. Nevertheless, all four teams would have liked the improving course and distance winner Jarraaf in their squad. In the end, that honour fell to the hosts, and Billy Loughnane took maximum advantage to storm home aboard the odds-on favourite. Points for all four teams in this one, but the home team burst clear at the head of the table.
Points Table after Race 4
- Great Britain & Ireland – 55
- Rest of the World – 38
- Europe – 37
- Ladies – 30
Remote Control’s Classic
The Shergar Cup Classic provided an ideal opportunity for Europe to haul themselves back into contention, with the mount of Alberto Sanna, Solomon, widely tipped to back up his win at Haydock from the previous weekend. Sanna did his bit by grabbing three points for fifth, but teammate Bauyrzhan Murzabayev claimed the maximum when clinging on in a blanket finish aboard Going Remote. With Great Britain & Ireland failing to score, all four teams headed into the finale with a chance.
Points Table after Race 5
- Great Britain & Ireland – 55
- Europe – 55
- Rest of the World – 48
- Ladies – 46
Captain Hayley Fires in the Winner
Nine points adrift of Great Britain & Ireland and Europe heading into the Shergar Cup Mile, the Ladies realistically needed to win the race and hope the rest of the points fell in their favour. Numerically, they were up against it with only two runners in the contest. However, two was all they needed as Joanna Mason and Hayley Turner shot clear of the field inside the final furlong, with the Turner-ridden New Image getting up to deny Mason and Yantarni by a short head. 25 points for the team in pink, who claimed the Shergar Cup for the third time in four years, whilst Turner bagged her third Silver Saddle as the leading rider at the meeting.
Final Standings
- Ladies – 71
- Europe – 60
- Rest of the World – 58
- Great Britain & Ireland – 55