The Shergar Cup graces Ascot once again on Saturday, with 12 jockeys from around the globe doing battle across six races at the Berkshire track. Joe Napier has taken an early look at the fields and come up with his best three bets.
2.10 Ascot – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers
He has a few options this weekend, but MINSTREL KNIGHT looks a horse worth stepping up to 2m. Hopefully connections will declare him here rather than the 1m4f Challenge handicap or over this same 2m trip at Haydock on Sunday.
The four-year-old’s two big handicap successes in the second half of last season came on soft and heavy ground, both arriving over 1m6f, the furthest trip he has faced to date. Since then he has been dropped back slightly in trip and been unable to fire, although he was a respectable fourth over 1m5f on his return at Hamilton.
That was off a career high mark of 88 and he is 2lb lower here, only the same amount above his last winning mark. Crucially, he has also won on good ground, doing so at Carlisle last season, so it should be that he is fine on better going, especially over a longer trip.
2.45 Ascot – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge
It appears likely that there’s more to come from CLAYMORE, who has disappointed somewhat since his three-year-old days, but who might now specialise over 1m4f compared to the 1m2f trip he has mostly raced over through his career.
His only two turf starts in 2024 saw him finish competitively enough in Listed and Group 3 contests, while it evidently did not work out on the all-weather over the winter, where he was rarely contending. However, he has returned to turf this season an improved horse once again.
In two starts on good or good-to-firm he has finished second and first, both over this trip, the latter being his first career success in more than three years. He has only finished mid pack in two races on soft, but the ground would be an excuse and he could take advantage of a mark of 95 having won with something in hand over this distance at Newmarket last month.
3.20 Ascot – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint
With this being his only entry and 56 days after his previous race, Clive Cox may well declare the intriguing FLASH HARRY, who could be a class apart in spite of an odds-on defeat last time out.
The three-year-old was trained by Sylvester Kirk when nearly casing a 50/1 upset on his debut last season at Bath. He was then gelded and moved to Cox ahead of this season and for whom he won by 8½ lengths on his yard debut at Wolverhampton in May. His rivals were not the strongest that day, but the form isn’t terrible, while the manner of the victory was bloodless.
He was turned over back at Bath over 5f next time, but the winner was a four-year-old only conceding him 2lb, which is not generous on weight-for-age terms. It might well be that he improves for the step back up to 6f and a mark of 95 is not beyond him.
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