Team Asia lift Shergar Cup in thrilling finish

Team Asia shaded victory in the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup as they triumphed by just one point from Europe in an exciting finish to the Ascot contest.

The teams were slightly different this year with the Ladies side no longer featuring, although there were leading female jockeys on three different squads.

Hollie Doyle captained Great Britain and Ireland, leading Joanna Mason and Robbie Dolan, but they finished six points off the top in third, with the Rest of the World fourth.

Team Asia won two races, with Indian jockey Suraj Narredu successful on Fireblade (13-2) in the Stayers and Ryusei Sakai of Japan winning on Prince Of India (100-30 favourite) in the Sprint.

However, it was Mirai Iwata’s second on Cerulean Bay in the closing Mile which clinched the trophy.

Captain Narredu said: “I am absolutely delighted. To win the Shergar Cup on my debut is the icing on the cake after my winner. I know this is a new team that was introduced this year. I am sure in future they will be a force to be reckoned with.

“The Asian team deserves to get recognition and I am proud to captain the team. It was a fabulous for us to get two winners and some place points from the six races.

“We all enjoyed ourselves and it is a big deal to have come. It will be big back home in India.”

Australian Hugh Bowman, riding for the Rest of the World team, won the opening Dash on Richard Fahey’s Vintage Clarets (5-1) and claimed the Silver Saddle trophy which recognises the leading jockey, chalking up a total of 32 points and finishing ahead of Europe’s Per-Anders Graberg on 26.

“I’ve had a good afternoon, obviously I won the first race and had a couple of others that have run very well,” said Bowman.

“It’s my second Silver Saddle, actually, in three attempts. It’s a lovely afternoon, it’s good fun.

“It’s more of a relaxed environment than your normal raceday, particularly when you’re riding against jockeys from different corners of the world. It’s usually a major race and the stakes are very high and it’s very important for everyone so this is, important as it is, it’s a little more relaxed and it’s been a great afternoon.

“It’s a good afternoon and I’m very proud to have won the Silver Saddle again and it’s great to see the raceogers come and support the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup because it is a wonderful annual event and it is recognised globally and it’s great to be a part of it.”

Each of the six Ascot races were won by different riders, with Graberg landing the Mile event on Ebt’s Guard (13-2) while his fellow Team Europe rider Delphine Santiago struck on 7-4 favourite Tenability in the Classic.

Dolan, who moved to Australia almost 10 years ago and sprang to prominence as the ‘singing jockey’ on TV show The Voice, broke into a chorus of “We Are The Champions” after guiding 11-4 favourite Night Breeze to a popular victory in the Challenge.