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Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup: Alex Hammond preview

By Alex Hammond

Horse Racing

Wed August 06, 2025 · 5M ago

Our columnist looks back on Glorious Goodwood and ahead to Saturday's Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup fixture at Ascot.

What were your highlights of Glorious Goodwood?

One of the first performances that popped into my head (other than the unlikely victory of Qirat of course) was the win of Zavateri in Tuesday’s Vintage Stakes. He showed such admirable resilience to beat the closing Morris Dancer that you couldn’t help but feel huge affection for the horse. His trainer Eve Johnson Houghton is having a wonderful season, and it was great to see a smaller stable win one of the prestigious prizes. Also, they now have a 2000 Guineas contender for next year on their hands and he’s been priced up at 25/1 by Sky Bet for the colt’s Classic next May. It was a wonderful Glorious Goodwood for the stable who also celebrated a win for Great Acclaim later in the week.

Another horse that I’d been looking forward to seeing at Goodwood was Merchant and it was satisfying to see him continue his progression when winning Thursday’s Gordon Stakes, albeit he had to work hard to beat Wimbledon Hawkeye by a nose. Trainer William Haggas had entered this horse earlier in the season for Ascot’s King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, such was the regard that he held him in, and whilst that was a step too far at this stage of his career, he has deeper pools to swim in going forward with this Group Three success under his belt. It’s also worth noting that he didn’t enjoy the ground at Goodwood which softened considerably before his race after a thunderstorm that brought with it a deluge of rain. His owners Highclere could be dreaming of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe if all goes to plan from here, but he would have to be supplemented into the field as he doesn’t currently hold an entry. He’s 40/1 for the Paris race with Sky Bet.

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How pleased were you to see Fallen Angel back to Group One winning ways in France?

It was really pleasing to see her win the Prix Rothschild in such gritty fashion. She has such a likeable attitude and rolled her sleeves up and battled hard having set the fractions throughout. The fact she managed to hold off the Aidan O’Brien-trained favourite January having been headed inside the final 200 metres shows what resilience and talent she has. Winning jockey Danny Tudhope was over the moon in his post-race interview, and understandably so, as he must have thought he’d never get to swing his leg over her again after she was bought post Irish 1000 Guineas win by Wathnan Racing. He’s now snagged three Group One wins on the Karl Burke-trained filly. She’s now won a Group One as a juvenile, three-year-old and at four, and will be heading for the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown next month. What a star she is.

What are your favourite Shergar Cup memories over the years?

I’d have to say the energy and enthusiasm that Hayley Turner brought to the competition is an overriding fond memory of the Shergar Cup. She was the Queen of this team event and will be hugely missed as a rider and captain. There’s a slightly different format this time round, so there will be no sense of Hayley leaving huge shoes to fill as former Captain of the Ladies team as Ascot have rejigged things. So, the four teams are now Asia, Rest Of The World, Europe, and GB & Ireland.

Another positive to have emerged from the competition over the years has been to see some of the jockeys making new and enduring connections that they wouldn’t ordinarily make. With the system of jockeys being drawn on each of their rides, you often see link ups that wouldn’t usually happen. When those partnerships perform well, it often results in that jockey riding for the stable again in the future.

Hayley Turner: All-time leading rider at the Shergar Cup

What are you particularly looking forward to this year?

I really enjoy the camaraderie and light-hearted atmosphere of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. There’s a different vibe around Ascot on this day and it’s wonderful to see so many fresh faces and young families come along to experience it all.

It’s also a novelty to see riders from all over the world, some of whom we know very little about, bringing their own unique styles and talent to the track. The jockeys and trainers all buy in to the theme of the day too and it’s refreshing to see many of them letting their hair down. That aside, there are always six ultra-competitive races and with the added jeopardy of some of the riders not having inside knowledge of riding the track, there can be advantages to be found when trying to unearth a winner or two.

With Hollie Doyle captain of GB & Ireland and with Joanna Mason and Melbourne Cup winning jockey Robbie Dolan on her team, they could be the outfit to side with, but it will all hinge on the mounts they get allotted come declaration time.