The Bottom Line
- 2.45 Night Breeze (11/4) — NAP. Last year’s Challenge winner is just 3lb higher and loves Ascot.
- 3.20 Thunder Call (15/8). The Haggas sprinter gets his ideal stiff six furlongs and a plum high draw.
- 3.55 Archers Bay (5/2). Ryan Moore takes over on a colt dropped in grade by Marco Botti.
- 4.30 Fondo Blanco (14/1 each-way). First-time tongue-tie, proven course form and a big price in the finale.
The Ascot races today are like nothing else in the calendar. The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup brings twelve invited riders from four corners of the globe to Berkshire for six competitive handicaps, all six live on ITV from the 1.35 Dash to the 4.30 Mile.
Below you’ll find the full racecard, the teams, and a verdict for every race — including our NAP at 11/4.
Meeting Context
The going is officially Good to Firm after a dry week, with sunny spells and temperatures nudging 27C forecast. No rain is expected, so quick-ground form is the way in. Stalls are centre on the straight course and inside on the round course; recent trends favour high draws (9-12) in the 3.20 Sprint and low draws (6 or lower) in the 4.30 Mile.
ITV coverage runs 1.10-5.00pm and takes in all six Ascot races: 1.35 Dash (5f), 2.10 Stayers (2m), 2.45 Challenge (1m4f), 3.20 Sprint (6f), 3.55 Classic (1m4f) and 4.30 Mile (1m), alongside the Sweet Solera at Newmarket and the Rose of Lancaster card at Haydock. Full timings are in our ITV racing schedule.
The format: four teams of three jockeys contest six handicaps, with points to the first six home in each race (15 for the win, then 10, 7, 5, 3 and 1). The team with the most points lifts the Shergar Cup, and the meeting’s top individual rider takes home the coveted Silver Saddle. Each race has ten runners, so two of the twelve jockeys sit out each contest.
This year’s teams: Great Britain & Ireland (captain Saffie Osborne, with Ryan Moore and Dylan Browne McMonagle) are 2/5 favourites; Europe (captain Christophe Lemaire, with Marie Velon and Frida Valle Skar) are 6/1; Hong Kong (captain Vincent Ho, with Luke Ferraris and Jerry Chau) and the Rest of the World (captain Jamie Melham, with Japanese legend Yutaka Take and India’s Suraj Narredu) are both 8/1. Moore is 7/4 to win the Silver Saddle. New to the concept? Read our full Shergar Cup guide. All odds in this preview are correct at the time of writing.
1.35 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash (5f, Class 2 Handicap)
| No (Dr) | Horse | Jockey (Team) | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1) | Kendall Roy | F Valle Skar (Europe) | – | – |
| 2 (2) | Tuco Salamanca | J Chau (Hong Kong) | O Sangster | 13/2 |
| 3 (3) | Fahrenheit Seven | S Osborne (GB&I) | R Cowell | 9/1 |
| 4 (4) | Fandom | S Narredu (RoW) | R Hannon | 7/1 |
| 5 (5) | Spartan Arrow | R Moore (GB&I) | – | – |
| 6 (6) | All Ways Glamorous | M Velon (Europe) | – | – |
| 7 (7) | Gaeli | Y Take (RoW) | – | – |
| 8 (8) | Gold Star Hero | V Ho (Hong Kong) | – | – |
| 9 (9) | Bolo Neighs | C Lemaire (Europe) | R Beckett | fav |
| 10 (10) | Cinque Verde | J Melham (RoW) | – | – |
The Favourites: Bolo Neighs heads the market for Ralph Beckett after a strong win last time out, and he is 5lb better off with old rival All Ways Glamorous.
The Value: Fandom (7/1) finished third in a hot Ascot heritage handicap earlier this season and the stiff finish suits his hold-up style under last year’s history-making Shergar Cup winner Suraj Narredu.
The Verdict: BOLO NEIGHS — Lemaire gets the meeting off to a flyer for Europe, with Fandom the each-way alternative.
2.10 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers (2m, Class 2 Handicap)
| No (Dr) | Horse | Jockey (Team) | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1) | Spirit Mixer | S Osborne (GB&I) | – | – |
| 2 (2) | Lavender Hill Mob | J Melham (RoW) | – | – |
| 3 (3) | Kilmeaden | V Ho (Hong Kong) | – | – |
| 4 (4) | Dancing In Paris | L Ferraris (Hong Kong) | – | – |
| 5 (5) | Shrimp Shady | R Moore (GB&I) | A Balding | fav |
| 6 (6) | Mountain Road | Y Take (RoW) | – | – |
| 7 (7) | Marnier | S Narredu (RoW) | – | – |
| 8 (8) | Oneforthegutter | M Velon (Europe) | – | – |
| 9 (9) | Pole Star | D B McMonagle (GB&I) | – | – |
| 10 (10) | Hermetic | C Lemaire (Europe) | – | – |
The Favourites: Shrimp Shady has won three of his last five for Andrew Balding, including at Newbury over two miles last month, and is only 3lb higher. Just four turf starts means there could be more to come.
The Value: Spirit Mixer knows how to win a big staying handicap and Saffie Osborne rode a Shergar Cup winner for these connections before.
The Verdict: SHRIMP SHADY — Ryan Moore on a progressive stayer from a yard that has won this race twice looks the banker of the day.
2.45 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge (1m4f, Class 2 Handicap)
| No | Horse | Jockey (Team) | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claymore | J Chau (Hong Kong) | – | – |
| 2 | Insanity | M Velon (Europe) | – | – |
| 3 | Frances Ethel | V Ho (Hong Kong) | – | – |
| 4 | Night Breeze | D B McMonagle (GB&I) | I Williams | 11/4 |
| 5 | Enemy | F Valle Skar (Europe) | – | – |
| 6 | Asgard’s Captain | R Moore (GB&I) | – | 13/2 |
| 7 | Castle Stuart | L Ferraris (Hong Kong) | – | – |
| 8 | Sportingsilvermine | Y Take (RoW) | – | – |
| 9 | Fantasy Believer | S Osborne (GB&I) | E Walker | 7/1 |
| 10 | Stem | J Melham (RoW) | – | – |
The Favourites: Night Breeze (11/4) won this very race twelve months ago, ran a cracker at Goodwood in late July and is only 3lb above that winning mark. His Ascot form figures of 1-2-1 say it all.
The Value: Asgard’s Captain (13/2) is 8lb better off with Night Breeze for last year’s meeting and Ryan Moore should get a stronger-run mile and a half this time. Veteran Fantasy Believer (7/1) has Ascot form for each-way players.
The Verdict: NIGHT BREEZE (NAP) — a course specialist who saves his best for this fixture; McMonagle looks to have the plum ride of the afternoon.
3.20 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint (6f, Class 2 Handicap, 3yo)
| No (Dr) | Horse | Jockey (Team) | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1) | Havana Hurricane | F Valle Skar (Europe) | – | – |
| 2 (2) | Shaatir | L Ferraris (Hong Kong) | – | – |
| 3 (3) | May Angel | C Lemaire (Europe) | – | – |
| 4 (4) | Red Spells Danger | S Osborne (GB&I) | – | – |
| 5 (5) | Figjam | V Ho (Hong Kong) | – | – |
| 6 (6) | American Gulf | S Narredu (RoW) | – | – |
| 7 (7) | Jel Pepper | M Velon (Europe) | – | – |
| 8 (8) | Cape Ashizuri | D B McMonagle (GB&I) | – | – |
| 9 (9) | Thunder Call | J Chau (Hong Kong) | W Haggas | 15/8 |
| 10 (10) | Grasmere Boy | Y Take (RoW) | J Camacho | 16/1 |
The Favourites: Thunder Call (15/8) is the class act. An impressive York winner, he had excuses when third at Newmarket and Hollie Doyle — who knows him well — expects him to be “a big player” back on a stiff track. Market leaders have won five of the last six runnings.
The Value: Grasmere Boy (16/1) won back-to-back at Ripon and Chester and gives Yutaka Take a live outsider. May Angel appeals each-way with proven 7f stamina and a favourable high-ish draw.
The Verdict: THUNDER CALL — better than a mark of 91 and a dream British debut awaits Jerry Chau.
3.55 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic (1m4f, Class 3 Handicap, 3yo)
| No (Dr) | Horse | Jockey (Team) | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1) | Archers Bay | R Moore (GB&I) | M Botti | 5/2 |
| 2 (2) | Hoseki | S Osborne (GB&I) | W Haggas | – |
| 3 (3) | Baltic Fleet | J Chau (Hong Kong) | – | – |
| 4 (4) | Blue Hercules | J Melham (RoW) | Muir & Grassick | 10/1 |
| 5 (5) | Pierre Grosse | L Ferraris (Hong Kong) | – | – |
| 6 (6) | Royal Poetry | Y Take (RoW) | – | – |
| 7 (7) | King Of Berkshire | C Lemaire (Europe) | – | – |
| 8 (8) | Level Look | F Valle Skar (Europe) | – | – |
| 9 (9) | Ohara | D B McMonagle (GB&I) | – | – |
| 10 (10) | Last Verse | S Narredu (RoW) | – | – |
The Favourites: Archers Bay (5/2) drops back to handicap company for Marco Botti after ambitious Group-race targets, and a dual winner earlier this season with Ryan Moore up commands respect. Stablemate-in-the-market Hoseki won gamely at this track last time for William Haggas and is only 5lb higher.
The Value: Blue Hercules (10/1) ran a career best when second over course and distance last time, and the Muir & Grassick yard has won with three of its last four Shergar Cup runners.
The Verdict: ARCHERS BAY — Moore’s mount edges out the gritty Hoseki in a fascinating all-GB&I market battle.
4.30 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile (1m, Class 2 Handicap)
| No | Horse | Jockey (Team) | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerulean Bay | J Melham (RoW) | – | – |
| 2 | Two Tribes | D B McMonagle (GB&I) | – | – |
| 3 | Crown Board | F Valle Skar (Europe) | – | – |
| 4 | Mister Winston | J Chau (Hong Kong) | A Balding | 12/1 |
| 5 | Ebt’s Guard | S Narredu (RoW) | – | – |
| 6 | Fondo Blanco | M Velon (Europe) | R Varian | 14/1 |
| 7 | Bullet Point | C Lemaire (Europe) | – | – |
| 8 | Popmaster | L Ferraris (Hong Kong) | E Walker | – |
| 9 | Ozat | R Moore (GB&I) | – | – |
| 10 | Serengeti | V Ho (Hong Kong) | – | – |
The Favourites: Two Tribes heads a wide-open market on his first try at a mile — forgive his Stewards’ Cup stumble and he’s well treated — while course winner Popmaster ran well at Sandown and is drawn in stall 6, key when the last six winners came from six or lower.
The Value: Fondo Blanco (14/1) is the dark horse: a Haydock winner and Ascot runner-up last autumn, he wears a first-time tongue-tie for Roger Varian and quick ground over a mile is his optimum.
The Verdict: FONDO BLANCO each-way — the value play to sign off the Silver Saddle shake-up, with Popmaster the biggest danger.
Accumulator
Our Shergar Cup treble: Night Breeze (2.45, 11/4) — Thunder Call (3.20, 15/8) — Archers Bay (3.55, 5/2), which pays around 36/1. Want a fourth leg? Add Shrimp Shady (2.10) and you’re into three figures if the prices hold.
Whatever you back on the Ascot races today, enjoy a meeting like no other. Please gamble responsibly. 18+, BeGambleAware.org.
