From the moment the flat season kicks into gear, rarely does a Saturday slip by without a major event of some description – whether that be the conclusion of a multi-day festival, such as Glorious Goodwood or Royal Ascot, or a huge standalone Group 1 contest.
This coming weekend is no different, with the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh topping the bill from a class perspective. However, the biggest meeting on British soil is a little different from the norm, as Ascot plays host to one of the only single-day team-based meetings of the season with the annual edition of the Shergar Cup.
Making its debut at Goodwood in 1999, this six-race card has taken place at the beautiful Berkshire venue of Ascot every year since 2000, with the exception of 2005, when the track was closed due to redevelopment.
How Does the Shergar Cup Work?
Initially a Great Britain versus the Rest Of The World competition, the event expanded to its current four-team format in 2006. Those four teams are: Great Britain & Ireland, Europe, the Rest of the World, and Ladies.
The four teams each consist of three riders, with each team having either two or three riders in each of the following races:
- Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash – 5f
- Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers – 2m
- Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge – 1m4f
- Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint – 6f
- Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic – 1m4f
- Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile – 1m
All six races are handicap affairs restricted to 10 runners, with each of the 12 riders competing in five races on the card. A complex mathematical formula based on the UK handicapping system ensures that each team has a balanced squad of horses across the six races – aiming to make riding skill the number one factor for overall success. Points are awarded according to finishing position in each race, as follows:
- First – 15 Points
- Second – 10 Points
- Third – 7 Points
- Fourth – 5 Points
- Fifth – 3 Points
The team with the most points at the end of the six races wins the Shergar Cup, with the most successful individual rider claiming the Silver Saddle.
Teams for 2024
With the advent of the Racing League, the Shergar Cup isn’t the only team-based meeting of the season but continues to stand out due to its battle of the sexes and international flavour. Popular with jockeys and punters – who can bet on the overall winning team and the individual races – the Shergar Cup is regularly among Ascot’s most popular race days, with around 30,000 fans expected through the gates.
With the 2024 teams confirmed, we now know the identities of the 12 riders set to battle for Shergar Cup Gold in 2024.
Great Britain & Ireland
Tadhg O’Shea – 42-year-old Irishman who recently won the Dubai World Cup. Now based in the UAE, O’Shea has been crowned the regions champion jockey on 11 occasions.- Seamie Heffernan – 52-year-old from County Kildare. Formerly based with Aidan O’Brien, for whom he rode the winner of 13 British or Irish Classics.
- Billy Loughnane – 18-year-old rising star, who rode two winners at the 2024 Royal Ascot Festival.
Europe
Bauryrzhan Murzabayev – Born in Kazakhstan, 31-year-old Murzabayev is a four-time winner of the German Champion Jockey title.- Jose-Luis Borrego – Spanish-born rider with over 500 wins to his name.
- Alberto Sanna – One of Italy’s leading riders, with the pick of his 400+ wins coming in the 2021 and 2022 editions of the Italian 2,000 Guineas.
Rest of the World
Rachel King – Born in Britain but based in Australia, King cut her teeth at the yard of Clive Cox and has now won five Group 1 contests on the other side of the world.- Rachel Venniker – South Africa’s only professional female rider has an impressive 250+ wins at the age of 23.
- Nanako Fujita – Japan’s most successful female rider, Nanako made her Shergar debut as part of the 2019 Ladies team and rounds out the all-female Rest of the Word lineup in 2024.
Ladies
- Hayley Turner – Two-time Silver Saddle winner and the most successful rider in Shergar Cup history. The first female to ride the winner of a British Group 1, Haley makes her 17th appearance at this fixture in 2024.
- Saffie Osborne – A specialist in team competitions, Saffie finished as the leading rider in the past two editions of the Racing League.
- Marie Velon – Record-setting French rider, who became the first female winner of a French Group 1 in 2022.