Hi all,
Inside today’s main piece I’m looking at trainers who target the Shergar Cup. There’s also look at the best of Thursday’s action at Leopardstown
It’s that Saturday again — Shergar Cup Day at Ascot — when plenty of British punters take a step back from betting. For many, the team racing format doesn’t appeal. I’ll be honest; it doesn’t do anything for me.
That said, the Shergar Cup draws Ascot’s biggest crowd outside of the Royal meeting, and with a quiet gap between Goodwood and York’s Ebor Festival, it has earned its place on the calendar. Oh, and it’s a six-race card which is a welcome change in an era of bloated race days.
You don’t need to get involved. For years, I used this weekend to completely switch off from the racing. But if you do fancy a bet, ignore the team angle and focus solely on the horses — that’s how I approached it last year, with two bets and one winner.
ITV Racing will cover all six Shergar Cup races, plus:
Haydock: Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes (3:00) and Listed Dick Hern Stakes (2:25).
Newmarket: Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes (3:40).
There’s also Group 1 action overseas this weekend.
Saturday: Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (4:35) at The Curragh
Sunday: Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.
Likely I’ll be having two or at most three bets on the Shergar Cup card and maybe a couple at Haydock and Newmarket. But it will be a very low-key Saturday on the betting front.
Trainers Who Mean Business at the Shergar Cup
There’s excellent prize money on offer at the Shergar Cup for mid-to-high rated handicappers. That makes it a clear target for certain trainers — and crucially, some target it very effectively.
Here are five worth noting:
Andrew Balding
Balding has trained more Shergar Cup winners than anyone since 2008 — 11 winners from 69 runners. While his 16%-win rate isn’t standout, his 45% place strike rate shows he comes mob-handed for a reason.
Nine of those 11 winners were aged four or five – 9 winners from 30 runners 30% +23.5, 17 placed.
William Haggas
Haggas has sent out six winners. His horses are as ever usually over bet, but he strikes with those in form:
6 winners from 17 runners 35% +5.75, 8 placed – all had won one of their last three starts.
Clive Cox
Cox is deadly with his horses well fancied in the betting.
5 winners from 10 runners (50%) +17.5, 7 placed – all returned 6/1 or shorter.
Roger Varian
Varianwith a win/place strike rate of nearly 59% is another whose runners are worth a second look.
Jessica Harrington
Jessica doesn’t bring many over, but when she does, take note and she has two entries this year both with chances. Sadly, not many bookmakers have priced up the Stayers race, but I suspect La Vita Nova will be under 10/1.
Ian Williams
Finally, there’s another trainer who likes to have runners at the meeting but hasn’t been successful in recent years and its Ian Williams.
Here’s a quote from the trainer in the Racing Post from last September.
“When you’ve got opportunities like the Shergar Cup and Racing League, they might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they should be embraced because of the prize-money they offer”.
He’s 2 winners from 46 runners -35, 17 places. However, since 2013 he’s 0 winners from 42 runners, 15 places. Eighteen of those runners were returned 9/1 & under. More than a third of his runners have placed which is a decent enough place return. He’s got a fair few entries for this year’s meeting so maybe this year he’ll return to the winner’s enclosure.
Thursday Racing Preview
We’re into day two of Brighton’s three-day August meeting—once a staple of the summer calendar with decent prize money and competitive fields. How times have changed. Take yesterday’s mile handicap: what would’ve been the equivalent of a Class 2 contest in the '80s or '90s now limps along as a Class 4 with just over £10k to the winner. No surprises which racecourse group runs the show these days.
The real quality on Thursday comes from Ireland, with a pair of Group 3 races at Leopardstown: the Desmond Stakes (6:23) over a mile and the Ballyroan Stakes (6:58) at 1m4f. Both offer a bit more quality than the offerings on these shores.
Also on the agenda is Week Three of the Racing League, live from Chepstow and shown in full on ITV4.
Once again, the format continues to strain logic — Irish-trained horses representing “Wales & The West” and Jane Chapple-Hyam lining up for “Yorkshire”. Maybe she has roots in Leeds. Maybe she just likes Yorkshire pudding. Either way, the concept lacks any sort of authenticity needed to be taken seriously even as a team competition.
I know there are readers who I like the Racing League; well, I would enjoy it while it lasts. I don’t think they have found a sponsor for next year’s competition so I think this will be the last year for the Racing League.
Racing League Pointers
Despite the flawed concept of the Racing League, I did have a handful fancies on the Chepstow card. Not sure if I will be having a bet though. If I do, they will be with subscribers on Thursday morning. I was interested Riot (7:00) who has been in my tracker since May. He's handicapped to win but needs all the card to fall right to take advantage of a lenient mark. He needs good or quicker ground. Burren Song (8:00) was a good second at Galway just five days ago and and could go one place better in the 1m 4f handicap.
A Class 5 handicap (8:20) at Sandown isn't really my cup of tea but King Of Charm who goes well here and is back at Sandown for the first time since winning over C&D last August and can race off 1lb lower.
Leopardstown
Desmond Stakes (1m)
Mutasarref returned to form with a solid third in the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh. A four-time course winner—including this race last year—he looks well placed to defend his crown.
Lord Massusus, who edged out Mutasarref in a C&D Listed contest in April, finished just behind him again in the Minstrel. He was also third here last year. I just prefer Mutasarref but there shouldn’t be much between the pair.
Johan, trained by Jack Channon and returning from a 284-day break, is 4 from 7 when returning from a 121-day layoff, and posted a creditable third in a Group 3 at Saint-Cloud last October. His official rating makes him a big contender, and we know he can win fresh.
Alakazi is the only 3-year-old in the field—and they have dominated this race recently, winning 7 of the last 10 running’s. He's improving steadily and posted a personal-best when runner-up in a Listed race at the Curragh last time. On ratings, he’s more than capable of winning and after just four starts is probably capable of better.
Ballyroan Stakes (1m 4f)
Crystal Black enjoyed a stellar 2024 season, winning all four starts including Royal Ascot’s Duke of Edinburgh Handicap and this race. Though his seasonal return in April was lacklustre, he should be closer to his best back from a break. If he is he can follow up last year’s success.
Good luck with your Thursday bets.
John