There will be a total of nine live races on ITV this Saturday, with coverage from Ascot, Haydock and Newmarket.
- 1:35 Ascot: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash – Vintage Clarets @ 10/3
- 2:10 Ascot: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers – Dancing In Paris @ 9/2
- 2:25 Haydock: Irish Stallion Farms EBF Dick Hern Stakes – Never Let Go @ 9/2
- 2:45 Ascot: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge – Night Breeze @ 9/1
- 3:00 Haydock: Betfred Rose Of Lancaster Stakes – Detain @ 3/1
- 3:20 Ascot: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint – Up The Pace @ 11/2
- 3:40 Newmarket: Newsells Park Stud Sweet Solera Stakes – Dance To The Music @ 6/4
- 3:55 Ascot: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic – Tenability @ 6/4
- 4:30 Ascot: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile – Miss Information @ 4/1
Ascot are holding the Shergar Cup on Saturday with all six races televised on ITV. The format for this meeting sees the twelve riders split into four teams in Asia, Europe, Great Britain and Ireland and the Rest of the World. Each race is a handicap with a maximum of ten runners and there are points up for grabs for finishing in the first five positions alongside the prize money for connections. The team with the most points after the six races wins the cup.
Ascot opens with the 5f Dash with Europe’s Toca Madera and Delphine Santiago the favourite ahead of a pair on ROW riders on Vintage Clarets and Dream Composer. Dancing In Paris narrowly missed out in the Summer Handicap at Goodwood last Saturday and is our pick to go one better in the Stayers race which is next for Dario Di Tocca and team Europe.
In the 1m4f Challenge, team Great Britain and Ireland’s Robbie Dolan finds himself down the betting list Night Breeze but is a course and distance winner and can get amongst the places here. The team Asia jockeys have the top two in the betting in the 6f Sprint though Ryusei Sakai and Prince Of India have to overcome top weight, so preference is for Suraj Narredu and Up The Pace.
Team Europe’s Delphine Santiago has the standout favourite in the Classic with Tenability who won at Ascot last time out. In the final race, the Mile, Urban Lion and Miss Information are vying for favouritism for two ROW riders in Hugh Bowman and Katie Davis with narrow preference for the later. Overall, we think the Rest of the World Team holds the strongest hand overall for this year’s Shergar Cup outright.
Haydock has two live races on Saturday, starting with the Listed Dick Hern Stakes. The 2023 Fillies’ Mile runner-up, Shuwari, made her return to the track back in May after a 556 day break and comes into this race the favourite ahead of Harry Charlton’s Arolla and Ed Walkers Never Let Go.
The Group 3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes will be the second televised race from Merseyside, which will feature French Derby third Detain alongside Wolferton Stakes winner Haatem and Steventon Stakes winner Royal Dubai.
The remaining ITV race on our screens this Saturday will be the Sweet Solera Stakes from Newmarket, a Group 3 race for two-year-old fillies. Charlie Appleby’s Dance To The Music won on debut on the Rowley Mile and is favourite to follow that up with success on the July Course.