LADBROKES INSTALL PAUL HANAGAN AS 4/1 FAVOURITE FOR SILVER SADDLE AT TOMORROW’S DUBAI DUTY FREE SHERGAR CUP

Ladbrokes, the official bookmaker to the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, have installed reigning British champion jockey Paul Hanagan as the 4/1 favourite for the Silver Saddle. The Silver Saddle is awarded to the individual jockey who amasses the most points during the six-race card at Ascot tomorrow.

Ladbrokes’ full list of Silver Saddle prices is as follows.

4/1 Paul Hanagan (GBR)
6/1 Richard Hughes (IRE)
13/2 Hayley Turner (GBR)
9/1 Hugh Bowman (ROW)
10/1 Colm O'Donoghue (IRE)
10/1 Christophe Lemaire (EUR)
10/1 Olivier Peslier (EUR)
10/1 Douglas Whyte (ROW)
12/1 Yutaka Take (ROW)
12/1 Fran Berry (IRE)
16/1 Jim Crowley (GBR)
16/1 Mirco Demuro (EUR)

Ladbrokes’ latest prices for the team competition:

7/4 Great Britain
5/2 Ireland
7/2 Europe
7/2 Rest of the World

About The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup

The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup is the world’s premier international jockeys’ team competition with four teams, each consisting of three jockeys, representing Great Britain (GBR), Ireland (IRE), Europe (EUR) and the Rest of the World (ROW).

Line-ups for the four teams are as follows:

Great Britain - Paul Hanagan (Captain), Hayley Turner, Jim Crowley

Ireland - Richard Hughes (Captain), Fran Berry, Colm O’Donoghue

Europe - Olivier Peslier (Captain), Christophe Lemaire, Mirco Demuro

Rest of the World - Douglas Whyte (Captain), Yutaka Take, Hugh Bowman

Held at Ascot tomorrow, Saturday, August 6, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup consists of a six-race programme, with 10 runners in each race. Each jockey will have a total of five rides throughout the afternoon with points awarded on a 15, 10, 7, 5, 3 basis for the first five horses home in each race. The team with the highest total after the six races have been run lifts the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup while the individual jockey who gains the most points will be awarded the Silver Saddle.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Nick Smith, Head of Public Relations and International Racing, Ascot, 07771 791449

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on China Crisis

Looking ahead to the spectacular three hour 1980s Here and Now post Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup concert on Saturday 6th August, each week we are focussing on one of the acts performing in the concert and this week is the turn of China Crisis.

Last, but by no means least, the line up of '80s legends is completed by China Crisis - a British rock band formed in 1979 in Kirby, Merseyside with a core consisting of vocalist/keyboardist Garry Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon. Thier music was a similar style to that of the New Wave, but had strong similarities to the post-punk movement of the '80s. They became successful between 1982 and 1987 with six albums and ten hit singles including 'Christian', 'Wishful Thinking' and 'Black Man Ray'.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. Please note we have now SOLD OUT of Premier Admission tickets. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk

Huges, Berry and O’Donoghue Make Up a Formidable Irish Team For The 2011 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup

Richard Hughes, who has captained the Irish team in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup in each of the last two years and who won the Silver Saddle trophy for the top individual jockey in both 2002 and 2009, is once again set to lead the boys in green in the world’s premier international jockeys’ competition at Ascot on Saturday 6 August.

Only an important runner elsewhere for his retained Richard Hannon stable will keep Hughes away from chasing an Irish Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup hat-trick a week on Saturday, where he will be joined by crack Irish-based riders Fran Berry and Colm O’Donoghue.
Berry made a huge impact on his Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup debut a year ago, amassing the biggest points haul for his victorious team and winning the Silver Saddle trophy in the process.

O’Donoghue won last month’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Treasure Beach, so gaining an automatic invitation from the sponsors to ride at what is now one of Ascot’s most popular racedays of the year. He will be making his first Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup appearance.

“I’m over the moon to be asked to ride in the competition,” said a delighted O’Donoghue during his visit to ride two horses at Ascot yesterday.

“I’ve always enjoyed watching it on TV and it’ll be great to participate in it this year with so many great jockeys taking part.”

A powerful Rest of the World Team, announced last month, comprises the all-time record holders from Hong Kong and Japan, Doug Whyte and Yutaka Take, and Aussie ace, Hugh Bowman. The line-ups for Great Britain and Europe will be announced soon.
The six races will be followed by a two-hour 80’s concert with a line-up including Jason Donovan, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Jimmy Somerville, Paul Young, Toyah, China Crisis and Altered Images.

It is often Ascot’s best attended raceday outside the Royal Meeting with a crowd of around 30,000 expected. Tickets (Premier £40; Grandstand £26) can be booked in advance with a minimum 10% discount (higher discounts available for group bookings) at www.ascot.co.uk or by calling 0870 727 1234.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Nick Smith, Head of Public Relations and International Racing, Ascot, 07771 791449

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on Visage

Looking ahead to the spectacular two and three quarter hour 1980s Here and Now post Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup concert on Saturday 6th August, each week we are focussing on one of the acts performing in the concert and this week is the turn of Visage.

Visage one of the cult groups of the 1980s and fronted by the outrageous Steve Strange. The group’s music and fashion was closely linked to that of the New Romanticism era that flourished between 1979 and 1982.

They rose to stardom with their first release ‘Fade To Grey’ in 1981 which went to number 1 in a staggering 21 countries. The group later released hits such as ‘Mind Of A Toy’, ‘The Damned Don’t Cry’ and ‘Night Train’. Visage released a total of 6 albums and compilations as well as 8 singles during their career.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk.

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on Brother Beyond

Looking ahead to the spectacular two and three quarter hour 1980s Here and Now post Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup concert on Saturday 6th August, each week we are focussing on one of the acts performing in the concert and this week is the turn of Brother Beyond.

Brother Beyond, was a British boy band that saw mainstream success in the latter half of the shoulder pad decade. The group first released ‘I Should Have Lied’ and ‘How Many Times’, but it wasn’t until Brother Beyond won a charity auction along with label EMI to work with Stock, Aitken and Waterman - considered one of the most successful song writing and producing partnerships of all time - that they hit the big time. The group went on to release some of their most memorable tracks ‘The Harder I Try’, ‘He Aint No Competition’ and ‘Be My Twin’. This year, Brother Beyond re-released their album ‘Get Even’ along with four bonus tracks.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk.

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on Odyssey

Looking ahead to the spectacular 1980s Here and Now post Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup concert on Saturday 6th August, each week we are focussing on one of the acts gracing Ascot’s Old Paddock lawns and this week is the turn of Odyssey.
Odyssey takes the tally of bands for the Shergar Cup 80s concert to seven. The New York based group grew out of the trio Lillian, Louise and Carmen Lopez. Tony Reynolds - a singer from the Philippines - joined the group and Odyssey was formed.

The group didn’t have much success state side, but after launching themselves in the UK they had a number one hit with ‘Use It Up and Wear It Out’. The band members have changed over the years, but the very best of Odyssey still goes strong with Steven Callazo, Annis Peters and Tahira Jumah singing some of their classic numbers. ‘Native New Yorker’, ‘If you’re Looking For A Way Out’ and ‘Going Back To My Roots’ will ring around the world famous Berkshire track.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk.

Whyte, Take and Bowman form “strongest ever” Rest of the World Team for 2011 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup

South African Doug Whyte, the record-breaking 10-times Champion Jockey in Hong Kong, will return to the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup for the first time in five years on Saturday 6th August as Captain of the Rest of the World Team.

Whyte, 39, is nailed on for an 11th consecutive championship title when the season ends next month and remains the only jockey to ride 1,000 winners in Hong Kong. He will be joined in the world’s premier international jockeys’ competition by Japanese superstar, Yutaka Take.

Take, 42, has been crowned Champion Jockey in Japan on an unprecedented 18 occasions and has ridden an all-time record of well over 3,000 winners in his country, where he is revered as a sporting icon.

The third member of the team is Hugh Bowman, one of the top five jockeys in Australia who was crowned champion in Sydney in 2008-09. The 30-year-old is back in the UK for a short period riding for Mick Channon, with whom he spent a successful stint in 2007.

All three jockeys have excelled in past Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cups, making them a formidable combination for the Rest of the World Team this year.

Since it became an international jockeys’ competition in 2001, Whyte has ridden in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup three times (2002, 2003 and 2006), finishing second in the Silver Saddle table for the top jockey in 2003 when he rode two winners.

Take has taken part four times (2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008), finishing second in the Silver Saddle table in 2008 when he notched up two winners to add to the one he rode in 2007.

Bowman has ridden in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup once before, in 2007, when he made a huge impact, winning the Silver Saddle as the day’s top jockey (he rode a winner, a second, a third and fourth) and captaining the Rest of the World Team to victory with Take alongside him. That is the last time that the Rest of the World Team was victorious.

Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of title sponsor Dubai Duty Free, said: “We are delighted to see such a strong contingent representing the Rest of the World.

“The competition for places in all the teams further endorses the growing profile of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and we look forward to seeing some of the world’s leading riders competing on one of the world’s greatest stages.”

Ascot’s Head of International Racing, Nick Smith, said: “This has to be the strongest and most experienced Rest of the World Team that we have ever assembled for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.

“Doug Whyte and Yutaka Take are nothing short of legends in the Far East where they have broken every riding record, while Hugh Bowman is one of Australia’s very best jockeys and rode our tracks so well when he was here in 2007, taking that year’s Shergar Cup by storm.

“Ireland has won the Team competition for the last two years, but I’m sure the Rest of the World will make a bold bid for victory this year. We will be announcing the teams to represent Great Britain, Ireland and Europe in a few weeks’ time. ”

The six races will be followed by a two-hour 80s concert with a line-up including Jason Donovan, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Jimmy Somerville, Paul Young, Toyah, China Crisis and Altered Images.

It is Ascot’s best attended raceday outside the Royal Meeting with a crowd of around 30,000 expected. Tickets (Premier £40; Grandstand £26) can be booked in advance with a minimum 10% discount (higher discounts available for group bookings) at ascot.co.uk or by calling 0870 727 1234.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:Nick Smith, Head of Public Relations and International Racing, Ascot, 07771 791449

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on Toyah

Looking ahead to the spectacular 1980s Here and Now post Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup concert on Saturday 6th August, each week we are focussing on one of the acts performing in the concert and this week is the turn of Toyah.
Toyah Wilcox is an award-winning rock legend whose musical career exploded into the charts in 1981 with ‘It’s a Mystery’, followed by chart topping hits ‘Thunder in the Mountains’ and ‘I Want to be Free’. She has had 13 top 40 singles, recorded 20 albums and travelled the world entertaining her fans.

Toyah isn’t just well known for a successful singing career but has also composed music and become a well loved actress, staring in various dramas and children’s programmes. For those with ankle biters, her distinctive voice can be heard in the Teletubbies. She is currently working in collaboration with Bill Rieflin and Chris Wong on the band ‘The Humans’, which released its second album ‘Sugar Rush’ last year. Toyah’s career continues to flourish with new music releases and live concerts in the pipeline.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk.

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on Paul Young

As some of the finest jockeys in the world descend upon Ascot Racecourse for this year’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, we look ahead to the spectacular 1980s Here and Now post racing concert. In the run up to the raceday, each week we are focussing on one of the acts performing in the concert and this week is the turn of Paul Young.

The fourth act of the terrific Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup concert line-up is Paul Young. Paul was interested in music from a young age, preferring the then unpopular style of music, Soul. He continued with his ambition to be a singer which has now made him one of the most respected British singers of all time.

Paul had a top 20 hit with his group Streetband in the late 1970’s but the band broke up and he formed Q-Tips. For 3 years the band played over 600 shows throughout the UK and Europe allowing Paul to introduce himself to the British public. This helped lead the way for his fantastic solo career, with chart topping hits such as ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat’ and ‘Come Back and Stay’. He has continued to write and record his soulful music for his fans all over the world for the past two decades.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk.

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on Jimmy Somerville

As some of the finest jockeys in the world descend upon Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 6th August, we look ahead to the spectacular 1980s Here and Now concert after this year’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. In the run up to the raceday, each week we focus on one of the acts performing in the concert and this week is the turn of Jimmy Somerville.
Jimmy Somerville is renowned for his unusually high pitched voice in the group Bronski Beat which had a number of hits in the British charts, including its most famous ‘Small Town Boy’. In 1985, Jimmy left Bronski Beat to form The Communards, which had two successful albums and stayed in the charts with a cover version of the famous soul classic ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’.

In 1989, Jimmy launched his solo career with five more hit singles and two albums. His popularity has continued to the present day and Jimmy released his Bright Thing EP in 2011 with four new original tracks which he wrote and performed himself.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk.

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on Kid Creole and the Coconuts

The world’s finest jockeys descend upon Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 6th August to compete in the coveted Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. In the run up to this prestigious tournament, each week we are focussing on one of the acts performing in the concert. This week is the turn of Kid Creole.
Kid Creole and the Coconuts, formed in 1980 after Dr Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band split up. August Darnell - the bassist from the band - adopted the name Kid Creole and formed his group along with a glamorous trio of female backing vocalists known as the Coconuts. This peculiar name was inspired by Cab Calloway and Hollywood films of the 1930s and 40s. For over 30 years the band have been entertaining thousands of crowds around the world, recording 23 albums which included hits like ‘Lifeboat Party’, ‘Gina Gina’, ‘I’m A Wonderful Thing’ and ‘Me No Pop I’.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup (Saturday 6th August), including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on Jason Donovan

As some of the finest jockeys in the world descend upon Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 6th August, we look ahead to the spectacular 1980s Here and Now concert after this year’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. In the run up to the raceday, each week we will focus on one of the acts performing in the concert. Kicking off this trip down memory lane is Australian legend Jason Donovan.

Jason Donovan shot to fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Scott Robinson. Jason went on to have a successful pop career with many hits like ‘Nothing Can Divide Us’, ‘Especially for You’ (with Kylie Minogue) and ‘Everyday I Love You More’. He has sold over 3 million records in the UK with his debut album ‘Ten Good Reasons’ selling over 1.5 million copies alone making it the highest selling album of 1989.
Jason has not only wowed his audience as a pop singer, but he has also performed the lead in many West End shows such as ‘Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’, ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ and most recently ‘Priscilla Queen Of The Desert’. After re-launching his career in I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2006, Jason went on to produce his ‘Greatest Hits’ album and in 2010 released his 5th album ‘Soundtrack of the 80s’.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup (Saturday 6th August), including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit www.ascot.co.uk

The Best of the '80s comes to Ascot for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup: Saturday 6th August 2011

The legendary Toyah

Kid Creole with his Coconuts

Aussie star and all round good bloke, Jason Donovan

Ascot Racecourse has announced its much anticipated line up for the ‘80s concert after racing on Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Day on Saturday 6th August.

To mark the Royal Racecourse’s 300th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of promoter Here and Now, there will be no fewer than ten acts performing a two and a half hour set of their greatest hits from the 1980’s after racing. The full line-up is as follows:
• Jason Donovan
• Kid Creole & The Coconuts
• Jimmy Somerville
• Paul Young
• Toyah
• China Crisis
• Odyssey
• Altered Images
• Brother Beyond
• Visage

Aussie legend Jason Donovan is very excited about the prospect of playing at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup: ‘I can’t wait to perform at Ascot on the Here and Now Tour when the days are longer and warmer - it should be a great day and I’m really looking forward to it!’

Kid Creole added: ‘Ascot - 300 years - and still going strong. What a thrill to be associated with an idea that conjures up the very ingredients that I adore: hats, glamour, tradition, heritage, flamboyance, competition, thrills and romance ..... Perfect!’

Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of the event's title sponsor, Dubai Duty Free said, ‘It's a terrific line-up and will provide the perfect finale for a unique day's racing.’

John Blake, Head of Sales and Marketing at Ascot Racecourse, said. ‘We are delighted that so many stars from the 80s have agreed to play Ascot. The day is always very special with racegoers dressing up in their best 80’s gear, which all adds to the wonderful family friendly atmosphere’.

This unique raceday begins with the chance to meet the jockeys taking part at the autograph signing session. To complement the party mood on this Family Day, one of five at the racecourse in 2011, there will be fairground rides available throughout afternoon – all free of charge.

Ticket start from just £26 per person and can be purchased at www.ascot.co.uk or by calling 0870 727 1234. Generous group and advance discounts apply. Ticket on sale from 11th January 2011.

New for 2011: The Ascot Family Day Pass: In celebration of Ascot’s tercentenary, customers can buy a Grandstand Admission ticket to include all five Family Days in 2011 for just £39.99 per person when booking before 1st April 2011. This is a huge saving of over £54. Grandstand Admission tickets for Family Days are usually £17 per person except for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, when they are priced at £26 per person. So, this really is exceptional value for money! Under 18s are admitted free on all Ascot racedays.

For further information:
John Blake, Head of Sales and Marketing, Ascot Racecourse; 01344 878512 / 07917 521429
Tony Denton, Managing Director, Tony Denton Promotions, 020 8447 9411: www.here-and-now.info

Please contact John Blake for logos and images of all the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup acts.

Save £54 with the 2011 Ascot Family Day Pass

The 2011 Ascot Family Day Pass gets the thumbs up from Scotty!

Ascot first raced on 11th August 1711 which means next year will be our 300th birthday!

Look out for lots of fun activities and special events throughout 2011 to celebrate our tercentenary. We have five Family Day dates for your diary in 2011. Further details will follow in due course.

· Sunday 10th April: Countryside Alliance Raceday
· Sunday 24th July: Betfair Weekend Family Fun Day
· Saturday 6th August: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and ‘80s Concert
· Saturday 29th October: United House Group Day and Firework Spectacular
· Saturday 17th December: Christmas Raceday

In celebration of our 300th Birthday you can now buy a Grandstand Admission ticket to include all five Family Days in 2011 for just £39.99 per person when booking before 1st April 2011. This is a whopping saving of over £54. Grandstand Admission tickets for Family Days are usually £17 per person expect for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup when they are priced at £25. So, this really is great value for money!

Simply quote Family Day Pass Offer when booking. To book, call 0870 727 1234 and talk to a member of the Sales Team. Don’t forget; kids under 18 go FREE! Offer limited to four 2011 Family Day Passes per household and must be booked before 1st April 2011.

Confirmed Ascot racedays for 2011

Saturday 22 January (Jumps)
Saturday 19 February (Jumps)
Sunday 10 April (Jumps)
Wednesday 27 April (Flat)
Friday 6 May – evening (Flat)
Saturday 7 May (Flat)
Tuesday 14 June (Royal Ascot)
Wednesday 15 June (Royal Ascot)
Thursday 16 June (Royal Ascot)
Friday 17 June (Royal Ascot)
Saturday 18 June (Royal Ascot)
Friday 8 July (Flat)
Saturday 9 July (Flat)
Friday 22 July (Flat)
Saturday 23 July (Flat)
Sunday 24 July (Flat)
Saturday 6 August (Flat)
Saturday 3 September (Flat)
Friday 30 September (Flat)
Saturday 1 October (Flat)
Saturday 15 October (Flat – British Champions’ Day)
Saturday 29 October (Jumps)
Friday 18 November (Jumps)
Saturday 19 November (Jumps)
Friday 16 December (Jumps)
Saturday 17 December (Jumps)

A Preview of the 2010 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot

The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup is the world’s premier international jockeys’ team competition. Three world-class riders will represent each of Great Britain (GBR), Ireland (IRE), Europe (EUR) and the Rest of the World (ROW).
The six races are limited to 10 runners with either two or three horses racing for each team (this will balance itself out over the course of the afternoon), and points are awarded on a 15, 10, 7, 5, 3 basis to the first five horses home (non runners score 4 points). Subject to full fields, each jockey has five rides and the team with the highest total after the sixth race lifts the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.
All six races are handicaps and all will be run with identical prize money - £30,000 per race. Owners have a fantastic opportunity on Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Day - there are no entry fees for the races, there is prize money down to last place (with reserves that miss out on a run paid £500 travel money) and there is complimentary hospitality throughout the day.
Dubai Duty Free has been associated with the Shergar Cup since its inception, initially as team sponsor of the Rest of the World team and as a race sponsor. In 2006, the company became title sponsor of the whole event for the first time.
Captain for the GBR Team is Hayley Turner, riding in her fourth Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and the most successful female rider Britain has ever produced. She will be joined by Ascot-born Jim Crowley, who is enjoying a fantastic season as stable jockey to Ralph Beckett and Alan Munro, who will forever be associated with the great Generous, winner of the Derby and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1991.
Captain for the IRE Team is Richard Hughes, fresh from a record-breaking nine winners at Glorious Goodwood last week and twice winner of the Silver Saddle at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. Hughes will ride alongside Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup debutants Pat Smullen, Ireland’s five-time champion jockey and successful in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot this season aboard Rite Of Passage, and Fran Berry, who was elevated to number one jockey to John Oxx and the Aga Khan in Ireland following the retirement of Mick Kinane. Smullen and Berry are currently the top two riders in this season’s Irish jockeys’ championship.
Captain for the EUR Team is Olivier Peslier, who will be making a speedy return to Ascot following his imperious victory aboard Harbinger in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 24. He will be joined by Italian Umberto Rispoli, the 2009 champion jockey who smashed Frankie Dettori’s father’s long-standing record for most in winners in an Italian season, and French-based Belgian-born superstar Christophe Soumillon.
Captain for the ROW Team is Anton Marcus. The South African champion captured the US$5 million Dubai Duty Free aboard Jay Peg in 2008. His teammates are Luke Nolen from Australia, recently crowned champion in Victoria, and Yasunari Iwata from Japan who is the only Japanese jockey to have won the Emirates Melbourne Cup.
The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup is being run for the 10th time at Ascot. The first running took place in 2000 when it was staged as an owners’ competition. It became a jockeys’ competition in 2001 and has gone from strength to strength ever since, attracting bumper crowds in each of the last six years it has been run (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 - it was not staged in 2005 when the racecourse was being redeveloped).
The jockeys competing in the four-team Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup will wear full team colours for the first time at this year’s renewal on Saturday, August 7. This is a one-year trial agreed with the Racehorse Owners Association. Please see page 4 for further information.
The three jockeys riding for the Great Britain team will wear red and white colours, the jockeys representing Ireland will wear green and white, the jockeys riding for Europe will wear blue and white and the Rest of the World team will wear black and white. Distinguishing caps and sleeves (checks, hoops and stars) will allow commentators, racegoers and TV viewers to differentiate between the jockeys riding within each team. Please see page 4 for further information.
Back by popular demand, a two-hour live 1980s concert will take place in the old paddock after racing. The line-up consists of Boy George, Johnny Hates Jazz, Cutting Crew, The Christians, Captain Sensible, Belinda Carlisle and Midge Ure.
Tickets start from £25 (10% discount if you book in advance) and are available from https://www.ascotkiosk.co.uk Premier Admission SOLD OUT. Grandstand Admission tickets still available.

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Teams Taking Shape for Saturday 7th August

The teams for this year’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot a week on Saturday (August 7) are close to being finalised, with stars like six times British champion jockey Kieren Fallon, three times French champion Christophe Soumillon and five times Irish champion Pat Smullen signed up in the last 10 days for the world’s premier international jockeys team competition.

Both Soumillon and Smullen will be making their Shergar Cup debuts, while Fallon has not participated in it since 2004. All three of the Rest of the World jockeys – three times South African champion, Anton Marcus, top Japanese rider, Yasunari Iwata, and Melbourne’s reigning champion jockey, Luke Nolen – will be making their UK debuts.

Just four jockeys need to confirm their participation once they know whether they will be required by their retained stables – Ryan Moore and William Buick for the Great Britain team, Richard Hughes for the Ireland team and Frankie Dettori for the European team.

Great Britain
Hayley Turner (Captain)
*Ryan Moore
*William Buick

Ireland
Kieren Fallon (Captain)
Pat Smullen
*Richard Hughes

Europe
*Frankie Dettori (Captain) (Italy)
Christophe Soumillon (Belgium)
Umberto Rispoli (Italy)

Rest of the World
Anton Marcus (Captain) (South Africa)
Yasunari Iwata (Japan)
Luke Nolen (Australia)

* to be confirmed

At The Races, for whom this is a stand-alone afternoon card, will be the host broadcaster for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and will be looking to capture the whole flavour of the event.Racing will start an hour later than in previous years at 2.10pm, with the 12 jockeys signing autographs between 1pm and 1.30pm and the Opening Ceremony following straight on from that.

In the races, the jockeys will wear team colours for the first time, with the ROA having given its support to the initiative which should help bring alive the team competition more vividly for racegoers on the track and ATR viewers at home.

As last year, cheerleaders will be dancing in front of the stands when the horses reach the start before each race and they will dance again once each race is over to the winning rider’s team anthem.The anthems this year are:

Great Britain:Kasabian – Fire
Europe: Alphabeat – Fascination
Ireland: U2 – Elevation
Rest of the World: Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling

After the Closing Ceremony and presentation of the Shergar Cup, the Silver Saddle trophy for the top points-scoring jockey and the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day award, a free 80’s concert will take place in the Old Paddock with stars like Boy George, former Ultravox front man Midge Ure, Belinda Carlisle, the Christians, Captain Sensible, Cutting Crew and Johnny Hates Jazz entertaining the crowds.

Only a few tickets for Premier Admission (£35, but £31.50 if booked in advance) remain to be sold although there are still plenty of General Admission tickets available (£25, but £22.50 if booked in advance). All accompanied under 18’s are admitted free and there will be lots of additional free children’s entertainments.

Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, said: “We are delighted with the way the day is shaping up and look forward to another exciting competition.

“We are very pleased that special guests Joe Mercer and John Reid will be joining us to judge the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day, a new award we introduced last year that we expect to be keenly contested once again.”

Ascot Head of Communications and International Racing Nick Smith commented: “In recent years the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Day has been our best attended race meeting outside the five days of Royal Ascot and there should be another fantastic atmosphere here next Saturday.

“It’s great to have a lot of new faces in the competition this year, all with tremendous international or domestic achievements to their name. For instance, it will be fascinating to see Frankie Dettori riding alongside fellow countryman Umberto Rispoli, the young rider who last year smashed Frankie’s father’s all-time record for the number of winners in an Italian season.

“And it will be just as interesting to see Yasunari Iwata from Japan, the only rider from his country to win Australia’s greatest race, the Emirates Melbourne Cup, riding alongside an up-and-coming Aussie star, Luke Nolen.

“Overall we have an outstanding array of jockeys taking part and a great line-up of acts for the post-racing concert. It all points to a vintage Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Day and with advance bookings on a par with last year, we should be on for another crowd not far short of 30,000.”

Further information:
Nick Smith, Head of Communications and International Racing, Ascot , 07771 791 449
Alistair Haggis, Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Event Manager, 07761 896500

Note to Editors
The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup is one of the world’s major international jockeys’ competitions and was first staged at Ascot in 2000. Twelve top riders take part, three representing Great Britain, three Ireland , three Europe and three riding for the Rest of the World. The day features six races, all handicaps worth £30,000, with each jockey having five rides and sitting out one race. Points are awarded on a 15, 10, 7, 5, 3 basis to the first five horses to finish in each race and the team with the highest points total after the last race lifts the Shergar Cup trophy. The top individual points-scoring rider wins the Silver Saddle trophy and there is also the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day award.

Dubai Duty Free, the world’s number one airport retailer, has been involved with the Shergar Cup since its inception, and became title sponsor of the event in 2006.

Football & Cheerleading Workshops for Children at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 7th August

A cheerleading class from the 2009 Shergar Cup

Reading FC’s Kingsley will be cheering on the footie workshops

Coaches from Reading Football Club will be taking football master classes at the racecourse for the Shergar Cup. The master class will last 30minutes and you will be taken through the paces of a Championship Footballer by the coaches that train the team.

If football isn’t your idea of fun then the Cheerleaders from Hit TV Show The Pineapple Dance Studios hit TV show will be at the racecourse to teach you a lively dance routine from the show. You are then welcome to perform with the Cheerleaders in the Parade Ring after the last race, if you wish.

Britain's only jockeys' competition, where teams of riders from all over the world compete over six races for the coveted Shergar Cup trophy. The teams are Great Britain, Ireland, Europe and Rest of the World.

All football and cheerleader workshops last approx. 30 mins. To pre-book your spot simply email coltsandfillies@ascot.co.uk. Please note spaces will be issued on a first come first served basis.

Racing and Other Entertainment on Shergar Cup Day

Britain's only jockeys' competition, where teams of riders from all over the world compete over six races for the coveted Shergar Cup trophy. The teams are Great Britain, Ireland, Europe and Rest of the World.

Meet the jockey’s in the Parade Ring before racing at the Autograph signing session or keep the kids entertained on the fairground rides. There is also the chance to enhance your look with hair braiders and temporary tattoo artists all for free.

‘80s Concert After Racing
Back by popular demand we have a 2 hour live 80s concert featuring the ‘Here & Now’ Tour in the Old Paddock after racing. You’ll get the chance to listen to some classic hits from:
Boy George
Johnny Hates Jazz
Cutting Crew
The Christians
Captain Sensible
Belinda Carlisle
Midge Ure

Tickets start from £25 (10% discount if you book in advance) and are available from https://www.ascotkiosk.co.uk

Ratings Bands Reduced for 12-Furlong Shergar Cup Races (Saturday 7th August)

Free Family Entertainment throughout the day including an ‘80s Concert after Racing

The successful Irish Team after last year’s Shergar Cup

Ascot has reduced the ratings bands for the two races run over a mile and a half at this year’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, the world’s premier international jockeys’ team competition, on Saturday 7th August.

The £30,000 Michael Page International Shergar Cup Challenge for four-year-olds and up and the £30,000 Titanic Quarter Shergar Cup Classic for three-year-olds, which failed to attract a full field of ten runners and two reserves last year, are now open to horses rated 76 to 95 (also open to horses rated 75 and below). Last year they were for horses rated 81-100.

The £30,000 Barclays Shergar Cup Dash for three-year-olds and up over five furlongs remains 86-105 (also open to horses rated 85 and below), while the other three races – the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint for three year-olds over six furlongs, the St Hallett Shergar Cup Stayers for four-year-olds and up over two miles and the Les Ambassadeurs Club Shergar Cup Mile for four-year-olds and up – all remain 81-100 (also open to horses rated 80 and below).

Nick Smith, Ascot’s Head of Communications and International Racing, said: “We hope that by dropping the ratings bands, more trainers will be encouraged to enter horses in these two races. There aren’t too many £30,000 handicaps for horses rated 95 and below, while the same prize money for the other four races also remains very attractive in the current financial climate even though they are retaining their slightly higher ratings bands.

"When you consider that it costs nothing to enter or to run in these races, there is prize money right down to last place and the owners and trainers enjoy free hospitality all day, there are plenty of other reasons to have runners.

“We also look after the stable staff really well on this day. There is free food and drink in the hostel and they benefit from a series of cash payments worth £4,800. There is a £200 best turned out award in every race, the lad or girl in charge of every winner receives £200, while those in charge of the second, third, fourth and fifth in every race – i.e. the other points scoring horses in the jockeys’ competition – get £100 each.”

Further information:

Nick Smith, Head of Communications and International Racing, Ascot , 07771 791 449

Alistair Haggis, Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Event Manager, 07761 896500

International Stars Lined Up for The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup

Top South African jockey Anton Marcus, who is the clear leader in his country’s jockeys’ championship and who gained international recognition when winning the 2008 Dubai Duty Free (Group 1) on Jay Peg, will captain a powerful Rest of the World Team in this year’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, the world’s premier international jockeys’ competition, at Ascot on Saturday, August 7.

Marcus, who is nicknamed “Superman” in his homeland, will be joined by the highly experienced Yasunari Iwata from Japan, who sprang to international prominence when winning the 2006 Melbourne Cup (Group 1) on Delta Blues. He also won the Japan Cup (Group 1) on Admire Moon in 2007 and the 2008 Yasuda Kinen (Group 1) on Vodka. In 2008, he landed the JRA Award for Best Jockey (in terms of prize money won), ending the seven-year reign of Yutaka Take.

The trio is completed by the up and coming Australian star, Luke Nolen, who is currently clear leader in the Victorian Jockeys’ Premiership. Retained by trainer Peter Moody, he has ridden Typhoon Tracy to four Group 1 victories in the last nine months and partnered Wanted to win the Newmarket Handicap (Group 1) in March. Nolen enjoyed the biggest success of his career so far when landing the 2007 Cox Plate (Group 1) on El Segundo.

The European Team will be captained by Frankie Dettori as long as he is free from riding commitments for Godolphin. Frankie will be joined by fellow Italian Umberto Rispoli, who re-wrote the record books in Italy last season when riding 245 winners, breaking the previous record of 229 winners set by Frankie’s father, Gianfranco Dettori, way back in 1982.

The third member of the European Team has yet to be confirmed, but is likely to be either Olivier Peslier or Christophe Soumillon, neither of whom has participated in the event before.

The line-ups for the Ireland and Great Britain Teams will be announced nearer the time.

“We are delighted to have secured the participation of two highly experienced, established stars from overseas in the shape of Anton Marcus and Yasunari Iwata and two up-and-coming riders who have already made a big impression in their own countries in Luke Nolen and Umberto Rispoli,” said Ascot’s Head of Communications and International Racing, Nick Smith.

“The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup provides a great opportunity for some of the world’s top jockeys to showcase their talents in the UK and we are looking forward to a great contest next month.”

The six races will be followed by an 80s concert with a line-up including Boy George, Midge Ure and Belinda Carlisle. It has been Ascot’s best attended raceday outside the Royal Meeting in recent years with a crowd of around 30,000 expected. Tickets (Premier admission £35; General admission £25) can be booked in advance with a minimum 10% discount (higher discounts are available for group bookings) at www.ascot.co.uk or by calling 0870 727 1234.

The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup is one of the world’s major international jockeys’ competitions which was first staged at Ascot in 2000. Twelve top riders take part, three representing Great Britain, three Ireland, three Europe and three riding for the Rest of the World. The day features six races, all handicaps worth £30,000, with each jockey having five rides and sitting out one race. Points are awarded on a 15, 10, 7, 5, 3 basis to the first five horses to finish in each race and the team with the highest points total after the last race lifts the Shergar Cup trophy. The top individual points-scoring rider wins the Silver Saddle trophy.

Dubai Duty Free, the world’s number one airport retailer, has been involved with the Shergar Cup since its inception, and became title sponsor of the event in 2006.

Further information:

Nick Smith, Head of Communications and International Racing, Ascot, 07771 791 449

Alistair Haggis, Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Event Manager, 07761 896500