Ascot’s Star Studded Shergar Cup – A Super Guide
Shergar Cup 2025: Everything you need to know, including the competition’s format and star riders.
Female jockeys have an outstanding record in the Shergar Cup. ©Getty
Key Facts:
- Twelve international jockeys from 10 countries will contest Saturday’s Shergar Cup.
- The super successful all‑female team has been replaced with a new ‘Asia team’.
- The Voice and Melbourne Cup star, Robbie Dolan, will be in action.
- A Netflix star is amongst the jockeys representing the Rest of World team.
This weekend, jockeys from 10 different countries will contest the popular Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot Racecourse. First staged in 1999 at Goodwood, the Shergar Cup is an annual horse racing event unique from almost every other British race-day.
For one day only, riders and not the horses are the stars as 12 international jockeys, wearing team colours and not traditional owners’ silks, compete to earn points based on their finishing position in six races.
At the end of the card, points are tallied, and the winning three-rider team will be crowned champions. There are also two individual prizes: The Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle, for the rider who accumulates the most points on the day, and a Ride of the Day accolade.
How Is the Shergar Cup scored?
Each team is made up of three jockeys. The teams are Asia, Rest of the World, Europe, Great Britain & Ireland. Across the six races, each jockey will ride in five races. Fields are restricted to 10 runners, meaning each team will have two or all three jockeys riding in each contest.
Points are distributed as follows:
- 1st: 15 points
- 2nd: 10 points
- 3rd: 7 points
- 4th: 5 points
- 5th: 3 points
- 6th-10th: 0 points
The biggest points haul under this system came in 2022 when the Great Britain & Ireland team enjoyed four race victories and scored 132 points. Only 68 points were needed for a Rest of the World team, captained by Silvestre de Sousa, to prevail in 2016.
What Are the Shergar Cup Races?
The Shergar Cup competition consists of six high-class handicaps raced over various distances.
- 1.35 pm Dash (5 furlongs, for 3-year-olds or older)
- 2.10 pm Stayers (2 miles, for 4-year-olds or older)
- 2.45 pm Challenge (1 mile 4 furlongs, for 4-year-olds or older)
- 3.20 pm Sprint (6 furlongs, for 3-year-olds)
- 3.55 pm Classic (1 mile 4 furlongs, for 3-year-olds)
- 4.30 pm Mile (1 mile, for 4-year-olds or older)
Who Is Taking Part in the 2025 Shergar Cup?
A ‘Girls team’ has enjoyed considerable Shergar Cup success, winning five of the last nine editions of the competition. However, the former all‑female ‘Ladies team’ has been replaced by a new ‘Asia team’.
The change has been made to reflect gender parity, and for the first time, female jockeys are integrated across all four teams. 2025’s teams are as follows:
Great Britain & Ireland (green silks)
- Captain: Hollie Doyle (GB)
- Robbie Dolan (Ireland/Australia)
- Joanna Mason (GB)
Interesting facts:
Hollie Doyle is making her fourth Shergar Cup appearance. In May, at Ascot, she became the winningest British female jockey when registering her 1,023-career victory.
Irishman Robbie Dolan moved to Australia when his career in his homeland did not take off. He subsequently became a dual Sydney Champion Apprentice and, in November, he landed the 2024 Melbourne Cup. Furthermore, he was a star of The Voice Australia, making it to the latter stages of the TV show in 2022.
Europe (blue silks)
- Captain: PerAnders Gråberg (Sweden)
- Dario Di Tocco (Italy)
- Delphine Santiago (France)
Interesting facts:
PerAnders Gråberg is a multiple Scandinavian champion who rides in Sweden and Denmark. The veteran, who describes the Shergar Cup as “racing’s Ryder Cup,” took part in the 2018 event when he rode a winner. In August, a horse reared and fell on him during a morning workout, and he only returned to action in April.
Asia (red silks)
- Captain: Suraj Narredu (India)
- Ryusei Sakai (Japan)
- Mirai Iwata (Japan)
Interesting facts: Ryusei Sakai is known for his partnership with Forever Young, the winner of the Saudi Derby and the UAE Derby in 2024, and the Saudi Cup in 2025. He was undefeated until running in the 150th Kentucky Derby, where he finished an unlucky third behind Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone in a photo finish.
Suraj Narredu, who rode his 1,000th winner by the age of 25, has ridden in Australia, the United States, France, Dubai, Macau, Malaysia, and Mauritius. He has won the Indian Derby four times and has landed over 250 Group races.
Rest of the World (yellow silks)
- Captain: Karis Teetan (Mauritius)
- Hugh Bowman (Australia)
- Katie Davis (USA)
Interesting facts:
Katie Davis (USA) makes her Shergar Cup debut after gaining international attention through the 2025 Netflix docuseries Race for the Crown.
Mauritius-born Karis Teetan was a champion apprentice in South Africa but has been based in Hong Kong since 2014, where he has won many major races and landed the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship in 2019.
How Can I Watch the Shergar Cup?
The popular race meeting will be broadcast live on ITV 1. Irish viewers can watch the ITV show on Virgin Media One. Sky Sports Racing (Channel 415) is another place to catch the live action and, without any fluff, the UK’s best online betting sites will live-stream races.
