Another Silver Saddle for Moore after 20 years

ASCOT – Four-time Longines World’s Best Jockey (2014, 2016, 2021 and 2023) Ryan Moore, making his first Shergar Cup appearance since 2006, won two of the programme’s six races to help the Great Britain & Ireland team secure first prize at Ascot on Aug 8.

It has been 20 years since the three-time British champion jockey took part in UK’s annual jockeys’ series.

Moore first won the Alastair Haggis Silver Saddle award – for the jockey who accumulates the most points in the six-race format – for leading rider with two victories in the team competition in his sole outing in 2006.

With Ireland’s Group 1 Phoenix Stakes (1,200m) moved a day later to The Curragh on Aug 9 instead, Moore became available to join captain Saffie Osborne and rising Irish star jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle as part of the Great Britain & Ireland team to compete against three other teams and nine other riders.

He got the best out of the Dylan Cunha-trained Asgard’s Captain ($45) by staving off the Yutaka Take-ridden Sportingsilvermine for the Rest of the World team in the £85,000 (S$147,000) Shergar Cup Challenge (2,400m).

Team Europe’s Marie Velon finished third aboard Enemy.

“Dylan did say he can be a little bit lazy and just help him through it. He’s got a very good attitude, he’s an uncomplicated horse, he stays well. It was very straightforward,” said Moore to At The Races.com.

“I am sure all the owners are delighted. They said they were looking forward to it, so it is a good job the horse has performed today.

“I had nothing else on today so it’s nice to be here. It is nice to see the likes of Yutaka and Christophe – it is great to see Yutaka still going.”

Moore secured his second victory when he gunned down leader King Of Berkshire (Christophe Lemaire, Team Europe) and drove the Marco Botti-trained Archers Bay ($17) home first in the Shergar Cup Classic (2,400m).

Moore finished in the first three in four of his five rides.

Besides the two winners, he was second aboard Shrimp Shady in the Shergar Cup Stayers (3,200m) and third on Ozat in the Shergar Cup Mile (1,600m).

With that, he bagged the Silver Saddle with 47 points, ahead of Lemaire in second on 35 and Team Hong Kong’s Jerry Chau in third on 32.

Osborne middled Moore’s brace aboard Red Spells Danger ($16) for trainer Tim Easterby in the Shergar Cup Sprint (1,200m), defeating race favourite Thunder Call (Chau), who rallied gamely into second.

It was Team Hong Kong who kicked off the day in fine style when they won back-to-back races at the Shergar Cup meeting.

Chau and the South African-born Luke Ferraris enjoyed their dream debuts with breakthrough wins on their first rides.

Chau scored on the Ollie Sangster-trained Tuco Salamanca ($24) in the opening Shergar Cup Dash (1,000m) while Ferraris pounced late on Dancing In Paris ($49) for trainer Ian Williams to capture the second race, the Shergar Cup Stayers.

Said Chau: “I’m so excited now. I’m very happy I could win the first one, then Luke won the second for our team.

“It’s a lovely feeling to ride at this track. It has uphill and downhill, and it is a very different experience to Hong Kong. I’m very happy I can ride with top jockeys.

“He (Tuco Salamanca) was a very calm horse down to the gates and I was pretty confident with him because he saved a lot of energy before the race.

“He jumped pretty good and I just let him follow – which (is what) they told me to do.

“After the 400m (mark), I knew he could win – he gave me a very good finish. They trained him very well.”

Ferraris felt pleased with his maiden success at Ascot as well.

“It definitely lived up to expectations, walking through the archway when it’s for you is very special,” he said. “It’s really special to have my family here and some of their friends.

“It’s great to be representing Hong Kong and hopefully doing them proud.

“Well done to the trainer and connections. I was a bit worried it was going to catch him out that last bend, but he got a great tow up the hill.

“When he got inside the final furlong (200m), he still had gears.”

The Great Britain & Ireland team led 71-62 over Team Hong Kong heading into the finale, the Shergar Cup Mile, which was won by Norwegian jockey Frida Valle Skar– at her Shergar Cup debut – aboard the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained Crown Board ($44) for Team Europe.

After the conclusion of all six races, Great Britain & Ireland boosted their tally to 81 points and lifted the trophy for the first time since 2022.

Team Hong Kong and Team Europe were tied for second on 62, while the Rest of the World team were fourth overall on 39 points. HKJC

Additional reporting by Sharon Zhang