The Shergar Cup, held at Ascot in early August, is an international jockeys’ tournament involving teams from Great Britain, Ireland, Europe and the Rest of the World. Riders are allocated horses by a draw and earn points for their team based on their finishing position in the six races that comprise the competition. The winning team is the one that accrues most points.
The 2010 Shergar Cup will be held in August.
Shergar Cup History
The inaugural Shergar Cup was held at Goodwood in 1999 but it was switched to Ascot the following year and has been staged there ever since. The series was initially sponsored by Blue Square but has been backed by Dubai Duty Free since 2006. The series was originally a match, with a Great Britain and Ireland team taking on the Rest of the World, but the format changed in 2007 to become a four-cornered competition between Great Britain, Ireland, Europe and the Rest of the World.
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot is one of the world's leading racecourses and is most famous as the home of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting held each June. Founded in 1711 by Queen Anne, Ascot continues to receive royal patronage and plays host to some of the biggest Flat races, including the Gold Cup, Queen Anne Stakes, Prince of Wales's Stakes, Golden Jubilee Stakes (all at the royal meeting), King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Ascot stages jump racing during the winter months, with the main events being the Long Walk Hurdle in December, the Victor Chandler Chase in January and the Ascot Chase in February (all Grade 1 races).
Shergar Cup Betting
As one of the younger horse racing events in the United Kingdom it has taken some time for the Shergar Cup to become a popular
horse racing betting event. The positive trend however was picked up by bookmaker BlueSquare who sponsored the Cup initially and over the years the Shergar Cup has grown to become both a popular spectator and bettor event supported by masses of racing fans and punters from England, Ireland, Europe and the rest of the world. Today a large number of UK bookmakers and international sportsbooks offer odds across a variety of different betting markets.
Shergar Cup Rules
Each team consists of three jockeys and, subject to non-runners, each jockey rides in five of the six races. Points are awarded on a 15, 10, 7, 5, 3 basis to the first five horses home and the team amassing the most points after the six races is declared the winner. The individual rider with the most points wins the Silver Saddle Trophy.
Shergar Cup Videos
2008 Shergar Cup
2009 Shergar Cup - Ascot Racecourse 360 Degree Round View
Shergar Cup Facts
- Female riders were allowed to take part in the series for the first time in 2006.
- In 2009 the event attracted a crowd of more than 30,000 spectators.
- An all girl team and a team composed of veteran jockeys is planned to be added.
Further Reading & Credits
- Ascot Racecourse
- Shergar Cup Format
- Online Betting Guide
- The Nunthorpe Stakes
- With Many Thanks to Russel J. Smith for the Ascot Racecourse photo. CC BY