The Shergar Cup always attracts some talented but unfamiliar jockeys to its six handicap events at Ascot and Marie Vélon, who was the first female rider to win a Group One race in France when she landed the Prix Royal-Oak in October 2022, could raise her UK profile significantly when she makes her British debut in the latest renewal of the competition on Saturday.
Vélon has a realistic chance of a double in the first two races while four of her five rides are priced up in single figures and the fifth is a fair 12-1 chance.
She offers plenty of appeal at around 7-1 to emerge as the leading points-earner on the day while Hayley Turner could chip in the for “the Ladies” in the final event, so the 11-4 about a win for their team could also be worth a small interest.
Ascot 1.35: A course-and-distance win last year from an 8lb higher mark makes Vélon’s mount Badri the marginal pick in a tight Shergar Cup opener at around 5-1.
Ascot 2.10: A race that could change abruptly if there is a late non-runner as Gordon Elliott’s Samui, the reserve, would be a live contender if he gets in. In his absence, Vélon will have another very strong chance aboard Andrew Balding’s Spirit Mixer.
Haydock 2.25: The impeccably bred Kilt – by Kingman out of Dank, the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner – has been gelded since a slightly sub-par run last time and an opening mark of 87 could well underestimate his potential.
Ascot 2.45: Alan King’s four-year-old Insanity remains lightly raced with only six runs on the Flat to his name and could well step up on his recent second-place finish over track and trip.
Haydock 3.00: A 439-day absence is an obvious concern but Anmaat took a Group One in France on his latest start and was an impressive winner of this race two years ago.
Ascot 3.20: Jarraaf has plenty of scope for progress after only four starts and comfortably beat the track specialist Fresh over track and trip last time out.
Newmarket 3.40: A drop in class and step up in trip may well be just what Mountain Breeze needs to get back to the winner’s enclosure after a fine run into second in a Group Two at the July meeting here.
Ascot 3.55: William Haggas’s Solomon escapes a penalty for his comfortable win at Haydock last weekend and will be hard to beat if he runs to anything like the same level.
Ascot 4.30: New Image took his form to a new level when second in the valuable International Handicap on King George day here and has an obvious chance on that form.