The sun shone down on Ascot for the 2025 edition of the Shergar Cup on Saturday afternoon. As ever, the fans arrived in their masses for one of the most popular and distinctive days of the year at the Berkshire venue.
The latest renewal of the most famous team-based competition on British shores saw a shake-up in the teams, with newly formed Team Asia stepping in to replace the outgoing Ladies Team. Points were awarded for finishing positions, ranging from 15 points for a win down to 3 points for fifth, in the six races on the card. As tends to be the case at this fixture, the competition provided a thrilling battle which went right down to the wire.
Race 1: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash
| Position | Horse | Jockey | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Vintage Clarets | Hugh Bowman | Rest of the World | 15 |
| 2nd | Vespasian | Ryusei Sakai | Asia | 10 |
| 3rd | Venture Capital | Karis Teetan | Rest of the World | 7 |
| 4th | Manaccan | Hollie Doyle | Britain & Ireland | 5 |
| 5th | Rosario | Suraj Narredu | Asia | 3 |
It was an excellent start for the Rest of the World team. Taking the ride aboard the Richard Fahey-trained Vintage Clarets, Aussie rider Hugh Bowman shot through a gap at the furlong pole to score by a length.
With Karis Teetan and Venture Capital taking third, the Rest of the World Team grabbed the early lead. Points for all bar Europe in race one.
Standings After Race One
- Rest of the World – 22 Points
- Asia – 13 Points
- Great Britain & Ireland – 5 Points
- Europe – 0 Points
Race 2: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers
| Position | Horse | Jockey | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Fireblade | Suraj Narredu | Asia | 15 |
| 2nd | Almuhit | Karis Teetan | Rest of the World | 10 |
| 3rd | Artisan Dancer | Per-Anders Graberg | Europe | 7 |
| 4th | Scottish Anthem | Mirai Iwata | Asia | 5 |
| 5th | Spirit Mixer | Joanna Mason | Britain & Ireland | 3 |
One of the most memorable moments of the day came in this two-mile affair. Appearing at the Shergar Cup 16 years after his uncle Maresh Narredu rode a winner at the meeting, Suraj Narredu judged the fractions to perfection aboard Fireblade. Grabbing the bull by the horns at the four-furlong mark, the Indian rider never looked like being passed.
A delighted Narredu celebrated with a Frankie Dettori flying dismount in the Winners Enclosure and received the ride of the day award for his efforts. Points for all four teams in race two as Asia edged into the lead with Europe gaining an additional 4 points because of non-runner Dancing In Paris.
Standings After Race 2
- Asia – 33 Points
- Rest of the World – 32 Points
- Europe – 11 Points
- Great Britain & Ireland – 8 Points
Race 3: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge
| Position | Horse | Jockey | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Night Breeze | Robbie Dolan | Britain & Ireland | 15 |
| 2nd | La Pulga | Hugh Bowman | Rest Of The World | 10 |
| 3rd | Insanity | Joanna Mason | Britain & Ireland | 7 |
| 4th | Great Bedwyn | Dario Di Tocco | Europe | 5 |
| 5th | Asgard’s Captain | Katie Davis | Rest Of The World | 3 |
Two races in, and the home team had already found themselves 25 points behind the leaders. A big result was needed in race three. Great Britain & Ireland achieved just that, with the Robbie Dolan-ridden market leader Night Breeze getting on top late to claim top spot, with Joanna Mason and Insanity back in third. A pointless outing for Asia as the Rest of the World regained the upper hand.
Standings After Race 3
- Rest of the World – 45 Points
- Asia – 33 Points
- Great Britain & Ireland – 30 Points
- Europe – 16 Points
Race 4: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint
| Position | Horse | Jockey | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Prince Of India | Ryusei Sakai | Asia | 15 |
| 2nd | Milford | Hollie Doyle | Britain & Ireland | 10 |
| 3rd | Flash Harry | Delphine Santiago | Europe | 7 |
| 4th | Up The Pace | Suraj Narredu | Asia | 5 |
| 5th | Francisco’s Piece | Karis Teetan | Rest of the World | 3 |
In a topsy-turvy competition, the lead switched back to Asia in race four. Ryusei Sakai was the hero on the occasion, with the Japanese jockey driving Prince Of India to get on top following a sustained battle with the Hollie-Doyle ridden Milford. Picking up just three points, the Rest of the World saw their 12-point advantage erased.
Standings After Race 4
- Asia – 53 Points
- Rest of the World – 48 Points
- Great Britain & Ireland – 40 Points
- Europe – 23 Points
Race 5: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic
| Position | Horse | Jockey | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tenability | Delphine Santiago | Europe | 15 |
| 2nd | Team Player | Dario Di Tocco | Europe | 10 |
| 3rd | Prince Of The Seas | Robbie Dolan | Britain & Ireland | 7 |
| 4th | Topteam | Mirai Iwata | Asia | 5 |
| 5th | Mdawi | Joanna Mason | Britain & Ireland | 3 |
Languishing in last place with a mere 23 points, Europe were running out of races to launch a challenge. However, a spectacular result in the penultimate contest dragged them into contention. Leading French female jockey Delphine Santiago did just enough to master fellow Team Europe runner Team Player in a photo finish.
Standings After Race 5
- Asia – 58 Points
- Great Britain & Ireland – 54 Points
- Europe – 52 Points
- Rest of the World – 48 Points
Race 6: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile
| Position | Horse | Jockey | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ebt’s Guard | Per-Anders Graberg | Europe | 15 |
| 2nd | Cerulean Bay | Mirai Iwata | Asia | 10 |
| 3rd | Urban Lion | Hugh Bowman | Rest of the World | 7 |
| 4th | Treasure Time | Hollie Doyle | Europe | 5 |
| 5th | Arisaig | Robbie Dolan | Europe | 3 |
With only 10 points separating Asia in first and the Rest of the World in fourth, all outcomes remained possible heading into the finale. Per-Anders Graberg did his best to give Europe a chance with a well-judged success aboard Ebt’s guard. However, with Mirai Iwata grabbing second on Cerulean Bay, Asia did enough to hang on by the narrowest of margins. Great Britain & Ireland took third, with early pacesetters Rest of the World ending up at the bottom of the table.
Final Standings
- Asia – 68 Points
- Europe – 67 Points
- Great Britain & Ireland – 62 Points
- Rest of the World – 55 Points
Bowman Bags Second Silver Saddle
The Rest of the World may have brought up the rear, but team captain Hugh Bowman still had cause to celebrate. Picking up a first, a second, and a third from his five rides, Bowman earned the most points of any individual rider to lift the Silver Saddle trophy for a second time at this fixture.
Hugh Bowman wins the 2025 Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle @HugeBowman 👏 pic.twitter.com/tMjDnTEyRu
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) August 9, 2025