THE DUBAI DUTY FREE SHERGAR CUP DAY

Despite strong gusts of wind, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup 2019 got off to a colourful start with its now-traditional opening ceremony in Ascot’s winner’s enclosure. Male and female cheerleaders gave an exhibition of their talents before greeting the 12 jockeys riding in this year’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. The four teams – Great Britain and Ireland (Tadhg O’Shea, Danny Tudhope, Jamie Spencer), Europe (Filip Minarik, Gerald Mosse, Adrie De Vries), Rest of the World (Yuga Kawada, Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu, Mark Zahra) and The Girls (Hayley Turner, Jamie Kah, Nanako Fujita) – arrived in cycle rickshaws this year, and were introduced by Ascot TV presenter Rupert Bell.

MINARIK MAGIC ABOARD STONE

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash

Minarik

A thrilling opener to Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Day saw four horses involved in the finish to the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash, with just a nose, a short-neck and a neck splitting the first four home. The Andrew Balding-trained Stone Of Destiny (11/2) captured the opening £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash with a thrilling nose success in the five-furlong event. The four-year-old son of Acclamation ran on strongly in the closing stages to score by a nose. Stone Of Destiny was ridden by Team Europe captain Czech Republic’s Filip Minarik, who picked up 15 points for his team.

Jamie Kah finished second aboard Final Venture (7/1), securing 10 points for The Girls, whilst Minarik’s team-mate Gerald Mosse gained a further seven points for his third-placed finish aboard the well-backed 13/8 favourite Danzeno, who was a short-head behind.

Balding, discussing the King Power Racing-owned gelding, said: “That was a good performance from Stone Of Destiny, who has deserved to get his head in front in one of these races. Stone Of Destiny has been a little bit unlucky this year, so I’m glad that he got a bit of luck by winning today. He is a very consistent horse and he appreciated the stiff five-furlong finish today. Filip has obviously never ridden at Ascot before but he gave the horse a great ride. He got him nicely settled and then he ran on well. Stone Of Destiny was eighth in the Stewards’ Cup last time out (August 3) and we were hopeful that a reproduction of a similar effort would see him go close today.”

Stone Of Destiny, beat Final Venture (Australian jockey Jamie Kah of The Girls Team, riding for trainer Paul Midgley) by a nose, the 13/8 favourite Danzeno finished a short-head further back in third for Gerald Mosse and Michael Appleby.

Minarik, for whom this was a first ride in the UK, said: “It is brilliant, a dream come true. This is my first ride in England and it’s a winner. I got the right instructions from Oisin Murphy and Freddy Tylicki, so thanks for that, and we had the perfect draw to do what I did. We had a very nice race. I think five furlongs is just perfect for the horse and the draw [stall one] was a big help for me.”

Jamie Kah, riding for The Girls, picked up 10 points for her team with a second-placed finish on Final Venture (7/1). The Australian jockey set out to make all and was just caught on the line, losing out to race winner Stone Of Destiny. Kah said: “It was very exciting, I thought I was going to hold on. It was a good first experience of the track – the ground is beautiful.”

Gerald Mosse added seven points for Europe with a close third on Danzeno (13/8), while Tadhg O’Shea put Great Britain & Ireland on the scoreboard when fourth on Recon Mission (9/1). O’Shea said: “There is a strong headwind, it is good fast ground out there, my fella ran a cracker.” Adrie de Vries, bagged fifth spot for Europe on Corinthia Knight, giving his team a total of 25 points, said: “I had a beautiful run around, he just stayed on the one pace.”

SHERGAR CUP QUEEN HAYLEY TURNER WINS THE STAYERS

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers

EDDYSTONE ROCK

The Girls captain Hayley Turner landed the two-mile £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers aboard the John Best-trained seven-year-old Eddystone Rock (13/2). Turner, riding at her 13th Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup was full of confidence in the home straight and ran on strongly to record a two and a quarter-length victory over Theglasgowwarrior (12/1). Royal Ascot-winning rider Turner picked up 15 points for The Girls team with her success.

Best said: “Eddystone Rock did that nicely. I’ve been saying for a while that I thought he would appreciate a step up to two miles and this was his first start over the trip on turf and he saw it out strongly. We would have run in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge over 12-furlongs, but we were balloted out. I’m pleased it went wrong for us and we ended up in this race! The prize money is fantastic and I’m delighted that it has worked out today. “He’s won plenty of prize money throughout his career and he did that nicely again today. I’m not sure where we will go now with Eddystone Rock, but the fact that he clearly stays two miles opens up plenty of options for us now.”

A beaming Turner, such a supporter of the day and this year making a record 13^thappearance in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, said: “I just love it, it is such a fun day. It is great to ride a winner. The race went without a hitch. We went a nice gallop, which I wasn’t expecting, and Eddystone Rock got into a nice rhythm. He has not stayed this far before, but he did it easily there. I needed a break [a few seasons ago] and I don’t regret it, but I am certainly glad that I decided to come back. Ascot is such a great track to ride and there is always a great atmosphere.”

Ascot Racecourse is indeed a special place for the jockey – this year Turner became the second female jockey to win at Royal Ascot, following Gay Kelleway’s success in 1987, when successful on Thanks Be in the Sandringham Handicap. Turner is the leading Shergar Cup jockey by total points won – coming into today she was on 257 points. She added another 15 to her total with this victory, a seventh Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Day success for Turner. It was all hugs and kisses for Turner after this success – many of her family here to enjoy the day and on hand to congratulate the jockey on her victory.

Australian jockey Mark Zahra and the Jim Goldie-trained Theglasgowwarrior finished second to Hayley Turner and Eddystone Rock in the two-mile race. They were two and a quarter lengths behind the winners, and earned Zahra, who is riding at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup for the first time, 10 points for the Rest of the World Team. He is in joint-third with his fellow Aussie, Jamie Kah of The Girls team, in the Alastair Haggas Silver Saddle contest for the rider amassing the most points during the day. Zahra said: “He ran super. I sound like I’m having a bit of a blow myself – we don’t have as many two-mile races in Australia! Hayley was just too strong for us today.”

Theglasgowwarrior’s trainer Jim Goldie said: “I’m delighted. I just wish Hayley hadn’t been travelling quite as well as she was! We were running for second when she opened up, but he’s run a good race and I’m delighted with the horse. He likes Hamilton, and he likes right-handed tracks. He’s run well.”

Third was 4/1 chance What A Welcome, ridden by Filip Minarik for trainer Patrick Chamings. Minarik, who leads the Silver Saddle standings with 17 points, said: “The pace was not strong enough; it was too slow for What A Welcome. He settled but still travelled a bit too well. I have some more points, which is brilliant.”

FIRST ASCOT VICTORY FOR AUSTRALIAN JOCKEY MARK ZAHRA

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge

INDIANAPOLIS

The James Given-trained Indianapolis won the one-mile, four furlongs £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge, ridden by Australian jockey Mark Zahra for the Rest of the World Team. The Galileo four-year-old, who was bought privately out of Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard last autumn, was a 7/1 chance and swooped late to beat Genetics (Andrew Balding and Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu) by half a length.

Given said: “The race didn’t quite unfold the way I hoped it would. Obviously they had sorted themselves out with a pacemaker in there. We were a bit further back which, with the draw, was always going to be a danger. But Mark switched him off and travelled round saving his energy, switched outside; the horse just coming up on his outside as well just helped generate some momentum. Once he got going I thought, ‘We are going to do this’, but for a while we were a bit far back. He got going and he deserves a race like this. He was fourth in the Old Newton Cup and had run very well at York from a very unpromising position. He’d run well at Doncaster in a conditions race just behind Red Verdon of Ed Dunlop’s, so he deserved to have a race like this. He’s doing what Alex [Owen, the owner] wanted him to do – come to days like this. His wife Olwen is here in a wheelchair and the horse is fulfilling what Alex wanted. You can’t buy days like this.”

It means that Mark Zahra is second in the Silver Saddle contest with 25 points, just four points behind leader Filip Minarik (29 points), and Zahra’s Rest of the World Team are on 40 points, second Europe on 42 at the halfway stage of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup 2019.

It was a first success today for the Rest of the World team and Zahra’s win, alongside Genetics’ runner-up spot under Vincent C. Y. Ho, has helped to take their team to second place on 40 points, just behind Europe on 42. “It is a great feeling coming back to scale and something I have wanted to do for a long time,” said Zahra after coming late with his run on Indianapolis to score by a half length. “I took a leaf out of Jamie Spencer’s book, but I reckon he would have left it for another 100m! The trainer [James Given] told me this horse is a bit quirky and not to get there too early, but also not to get there too late! It was just a matter of timing it. I thought I was always going to get the lead and it helped when the second horse hung out wide – my horse saw him and gave him an urge.”

Rest of the World rider Vincent C. Y. Ho finished a half-length second in the 12-furlong race aboard the Andrew Balding-trained Genetics (7/1). Ho said: “Genetics ran a very good race. I just think the trip found him out in the closing stages, but I was delighted with his run.”

The Ian Williams-trained Mandarin (4/1) was a nose behind in third under Team Europe captain Filip Minarik who leads the Silver Saddle on 28 points. He remarked: “We had a bad draw and a bad start. I had to ride Mandarin patiently from the back. I was too far back and the pace wasn’t strong – but that is racing.”

Team Europe’s Adrie De Vries rode the Ian Williams-trained Restorer (fifth). He commented: “Restorer ran a good race. I was caught a little bit further back than ideal, but he stayed on strongly – I’m pleased with the effort.”

HO’S GOT THE POWER

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile

POWER OF DARKNESS

The Marcus Tregoning-trained Power Of Darkness (11/4f) captured the £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile. Ridden by the Rest of the World’s Vincent C. Y. Ho, the four-year-old son of Power recorded a length success and provided the Rest of the World team with 15 points, who now lead the standings with 62 points. Tregoning said: “Vincent has had experience riding in Britain for Mark Johnston. He has never ridden at Ascot before so we had a chat beforehand because it is a stiff mile here, but he gave the horse a super ride. We’ve now had two runners at the Shergar Cup, both of which have been in this race and they have both won (previous winner was Boom And Bust, 2012).”

Power Of Darkness provided jockey Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu with his first Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup winner. The four-year-old was sent off the 11/4 favourite, and beat Zhui Feng (Gerald Mosse and Amanda Perrett) by a length. The Hong Kong-based jockey has been riding in Britain for the past couple of weeks and has partnered three winners in that time, two for Mark Johnston and one for Keith Dalgleish, all at Scottish tracks. He said: “The rain came for us and once he set to, he gave me a great turn of foot. He just relaxed behind horses and then went on. It is like a dream come true. I never even imagined myself riding at Ascot, and to get a chance here and then have a winner is a dream. It is just amazing to be at the Shergar Cup because the atmosphere is great and you are racing against some of the top jockeys in the world. We will see what the people in Hong Kong make of it, but hopefully my parents are happy.”

That means he is on 25 points, putting him currently in joint-second place in the Silver Saddle contest. Mark Zahra is also on 25, while Filip Minarik is still in the lead on 32 points. His team, the Rest of the World, are ahead in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup with 62 points, with Europe second on 55, The Girls third with 30 points and the Great Britain and Ireland in fourth place with 13 points.

Europe had to settle for second-best courtesy of Zhui Feng (15/2) ridden by Gerald Mosse, who was pleased with the run put in by the Amanda Perrett-trained runner. “He ran well, I went for the line and he was travelling well, he just got a bit tired,” said the jockey, who was beaten a length. Perrett added: “He has run a great race – we are a bit stuck in second place at the moment, but Gerald gave him a lovely ride and it is great to see Zhui Feng put last week’s run behind him.”

Jockey Yuga Kawada, riding for the Rest of the World team, partnered the third-placed Zwayyan (9/1). He said: “I had a good draw and the pace was good. The horse ran well.” The Rest of the World is now leading on 62 points, ahead of Europe on 55.

Europe team captain Filip Minarik, who rode the fifth-placed War Glory (14/1), picking up three points, said: “He tried hard. I rode him quietly, patiently, and full of confidence and he ran for me. I am happy with the run.” Minarik is leading the competition for the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle on 32 points.

Team captain Jamie Spencer was a best-placed finisher for the GB&I team ­on the fourth-placed Nicholas T. Spencer reported: “He ran well, he needs further.”

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic winner for Johnston

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic

SAPA INCA

Trainer Mark Johnston found himself on the Ascot winners’ podium after Sapa Inca’s victory in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic, his Galileo filly justifying 4/1 favouritism. She came with a late run under Hayley Turner for The Girls to win by a going-away three-quarters of a length. “My other two runners here today could never land a blow, they were out of their comfort zone the whole way, but Sapa Inca has done this well,” said Johnston. “Hayley said that she’d conflicting advice from Franny Norton and Silvestre de Sousa, previous riders of the horse – Franny has said that she could be keen. But there was such pace on today she never got a chance to be keen!”

The Girls captain Hayley Turner recorded a 36.5/1 double at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup following the success of 4/1 favourite Sapa Inca. The three-year-old daughter of Galileo recorded a three-quarter length success in the 12-furlong contest.

Turner was successful earlier today aboard 13/2 shot in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers. Turner, who is on 30 points in the race for the Silver Saddle, five points behind front-runner Mark Zahra, said: “This is great, isn’t it? Sapa Inca did it really well. They went very hard and the gaps just opened for me. I managed to get her in touch without having to ask her to do too much and, like a typical Mark Johnston horse, she just grinded it out.” Turner’s father Richard was delighted to see his daughter record another success at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. He said: “It’s fantastic. We love this meeting and it is great to be here to watch Hayley win two races. It is an event we always look forward to and it’s lovely to see Hayley be a part of it.”

The Rest of the World team lead the standings with 79 points ahead of Team Europe with 55 points. The Girls have 53 points, whilst Great Britain and Ireland have 13 points.

“That’s twice Hayley’s got the better of me in a finish! But the horse has run really well,” said Australian jockey Mark Zahra after finishing second behind the Hayley Turner-ridden Sapa Inca. Zahra was riding 9/2 chance Never Do Nothing, a three-year-old son of Casamento, for Andrew Balding, and finished three-quarters of a length behind Sapa Inca. Balding said: “He’s been very consistent all year. He’s done nothing wrong and he’s run another good race.”

The 15 points earned by Zahra for his victory means he has taken the lead in the Alastair Haggas Silver Saddle contest. He has 35 points, and has overtaken Filip Minarik, who sits on 32 points, alongside Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu. Turner is fourth with 30 points. “I’d better pull something out of the bag in the last,” laughed Zahra.

Third, a length and a half behind Never Do Nothing, was 11/1 chance Aspire Tower, trained by Steve Gollings and ridden by Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu. Ho Chak-Yiu said: “He ran well. He was just a little bit laid-back in the first half of the race. We expected him to sit in third or fourth position, but he couldn’t make it. I started to get him rolling when I was three wide, but the horse in front blocked our run and I had to go four wide. He is a big, one-paced horse, so going four wide didn’t help him. He stayed on well.”

The Rest of the World team now has 79, points, giving them a substantial lead over second-placed Europe with 55 points. The Girls are chasing them with 53 points, while GBI languish in fourth with 13 points.

VINTAGE SPENCER AS DAY TAKES VICTORY

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint

VICTORY DAY

Jamie Spencer has long been a master on hold-up horses and he produced a peach of a ride as the William Haggas-trained Victory Day (7/4f) came from last to first to win the £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint. Spencer, riding for the Great Britain & Ireland team produced the three-year-old son of Bated Breath to perfection in the six-furlong contest as they took the lead in the closing stages to record a length win. “That was a good performance from Victory Day. He is a very good horse. Victory Day should have won at York last time, but he is a typical William Haggas improver. He looks to be a Group horse in a handicap and he did that very well. I rode him like the best horse today. We didn’t go that fast and they drifted towards the middle of the rail and given my draw in stall 12, I was able to go down the fence and run on strongly.

After the final race at today’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, the Rest of the World were crowned the winning team with 86 points. Team Europe and The Girls were joint-second with 63 points and Great Britain & Ireland finished with 28 points. For the second year in succession, The Girls captain Hayley Turner won the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle with 40 points.

Rest of the World team wins the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup 2019

After an exciting six-race card, the Rest of the World team emerged as the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup’s triumphant winning team with 86 points, ahead of the joint runners-up Europe and The Girls on 63. The performance by the ROW was all the more meritorious as all three team members were making their Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup debuts. The ROW team was last successful in 2016 and has now won three times since 2012. Leading Japanese jockey Yuga Kawada was this year’s ROW team’s winning captain,

“I didn’t have a great day myself, but my other members were very successful today and rode very well winning a race each,” said Kawada. “I came here last year during a trip to England and it has been great to catch up with people I met last year. It has been good to meet new people – it has been a fun day. It has been a great atmosphere, a great result and I am thrilled to have been the captain. I hope I can come back next year!”

Kawada’s team members Vincent C.Y. Ho and Mark Zahra, won a race apiece. Zahra was also awarded Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day for his ride on Indianapolis in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge, and Ho won the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile on Power Of Darkness. Zahra finished second in the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle award on 35 points behind the winner Hayley Turner on 40.

LUCKY 13^TH FOR HAYLEY TURNER 

Hayley Turner’s second place in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint aboard the Paul D’Arcy-trained Pass The Vino gave her 10 points – which was enough to ensure that she won the Alistair Haggas Silver Saddle for the jockey who amasses the most points during the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. Turner became the first jockey to win the Silver Saddle in consecutive years, having also won it in 2018. Her total of 40 points left her five points clear of Mark Zahra (35), with Filip Minarik and Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu joint-third on 32 points. Gerald Mosse and Jamie Spencer shared fifth place with 20 points apiece.

Turner said: “Alistair Haggas was the one who created this whole event and he got me involved, which has been a big boost to my career. Sadly he is no longer with us but it is lovely to win his Silver Saddle trophy for the second time. Pass The Vino is a lovely horse, very game, and they’ll have a lot of fun with him this year. I can’t believe I won the Silver Saddle again. It’s a massive thrill – this event means so much to me. I really enjoy it and it’s great because all my family are here as well. Even though the other girls [Jamie Kah and Nanako Fujita] didn’t ride a winner, they will have gained lots of experience from riding here and they’ve both enjoyed it. And it’s brilliant that our team finished joint-second as well. I’m definitely going to celebrate this evening. I’d like to think that’s bagged me a spot here for next year!” Hayley’s parents, sister and grandmother were all present to watch her receive her trophy.

ZAHRA AWARDED THE DUBAI DUTY FREE RIDE OF THE DAY

 Mark Zahra was awarded the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day for his winning ride on Indianapolis in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge, the third race in the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. Zahra commented: “It is a real thrill to get the award of the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day. To be honest, I had never ridden at the track and you can only walk up the straight and back. I thought that for the first couple of races I could sit at the back a little and let it all unfold on horses I don’t know much about. On Indianapolis I got there in the nick of time and it all went good.” Zahra was also second in the competition for the Alistair Haggis “Silver Saddle” for the jockey with the most individual points, to last year’s champion, Hayley Turner. Zahra said: “I think that Hayley Turner gets the pick of all the rides before anyone else does! Good on her and it was a thrill to come second to her.