SHERGAR CUP
Friday 9th August, 4:30pm
New Image @ 3/1
Carrytheone @ 4/1
Silent Film @ 6/1
Bopedro @ 13/2
Yantarni @ 9/1
view odds
*prices correct at time of writing.
THE RACE
Racing famously sneers at anything it even remotely perceives as a gimmick, but Ascot’s Dubai Duty Free-sponsored Shergar Cup – highlight: the £100,000 Shergar Cup Mile (4-30) – has been widely-acclaimed as a winner, attracting good crowds to cheer on some of the world’s most successful and interesting jockeys.
An equal number of men and women are due to take part this time with two of the four teams all-female, the Ladies (no longer ‘the Girls’) and the Rest of the World.
THE MARKET
The draw looks to have been kind to the competition with every chance that all of the teams will come to the final leg still in with a shout. In-form New Image, the mount of Ladies captain Hayley Turner, should be suited by the extra furlong but is effectively up six pounds compared to when an admittedly fine second, ridden by a three-pound claimer, at the track on King George day.
Carrytheone (Rachel Venniker, Rest of the World) recorded a last-gasp win at Chepstow on Thursday. Silent Film (Seamus Heffernan, Britain and Ireland) didn’t get the breaks in time when eighth at Goodwood last week and ran fourth in this in 2023.
From the same Goodwood race, New Image’s stablemate Bopedro, with Kazakhstan-born former German champion Bauyrzhan Murzabayev riding for the Europeans, comes here after an improved performance, three places in front of Silent Film, keeping on late from a bad position, while Talis Evolvere (Nanako Fujita, Rest of the World) finished ninth.
Yantarni (Joanna Mason, Ladies) was in great form in June but has been paid back by the handicapper. Tempus (Jose-Luis Borrego, Europe) will relish every yard of the distance. Bless Him’s well-known Ascot specialisation is over the straight course, but he’s on a pretty competitive mark and is Billy Loughnane’s mount for Britain and Ireland.
THE WINNER
Personally, after Goodwood and with a visor again, Bopedro – you?
CORN’S QUARTET
Elsewhere on the Ascot programme, lightly-raced Jarraaf (3-20) defeated a rock solid yardstick over the course and distance in mid-July in what was only his fifth race, and although his weight level has jumped up that may not matter. He looks Billy Loughnane’s best chance of the day.
Jarraaf’s trainer Owen Burrows has demonstrated himself adept at ensuring long-term absentees are raring to go on their return, and at Haydock (3-00) his Anmaat is back for the first time since accounting for rivals including Facteur Cheval in a French Group One in May 2023.
At The Curragh (4-35), the highly-regarded colt Whistlejacket may be given lots to think about by Babouche, one of two very useful fillies that Ger Lyons/Juddmonte have run; the other, Red Letter, has franked the form of Lake Victoria (Newmarket 3-40).
I’m at Redcar where right at the bottom of the last race (4-55) – number 12 of twelve – Sir Mark Prescott runs well-bred Apostle, which has qualified for a mark (56) over a mile, seven furlongs and a mile but is into handicaps over fourteen furlongs.
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