Rest of the World Team triumphs in Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup

After an exciting six-race card, the Rest of the World team emerged as the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup’s winning team at Ascot Racecourse UK on Saturday, with 86 points, ahead of the joint runners-up Europe and The Girls on 63.

The performance by the Rest of the World was all the more meritorious as all three team members were making their Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup debuts.

The Rest of the World team was last successful in 2016 and has now won three times since 2012. Leading Japanese jockey Yuga Kawada was this year’s winning captain and was joined by Vincent CY Ho and Mark Zahra who each rode a winner.

“I didn’t have a great day myself, but my other members were very successful today and rode very well winning a race each,” said Kawada.

“I came here last year during a trip to England and it has been great to catch up with people I met last year. It has been good to meet new people - it has been a fun day.

“It has been a great atmosphere, a great result and I am thrilled to have been the captain. I hope I can come back next year.”

After the final race the Rest of the World were crowned the winning team with 86 points. Team Europe captained by Filip Minarik and The Girls led by Hayley Turner were joint-second with 63 points and Great Britain & Ireland with Tadhg O’Shea at the helm finished with 28 points.

Australian Mark Zahra was awarded the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day Judged by former Derby-winning jockey, John Reid, for his winning ride on Indianapolis in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge, the third race in the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.

Zahra said, “It is a real thrill to get the award of the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day. To be honest, I had never ridden at the track and you can only walk up the straight and back.

“I thought that for the first couple of races I could sit at the back a little and let it all unfold on horses I don’t know much about.

On Indianapolis I got there in the nick of time and it all went good.”

Hayley Turner’s second place in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint aboard the Paul D’Arcy-trained Pass The Vino gave her 10 points - which was enough to ensure that she won the Alistair Haggas Silver Saddle for the jockey who amasses the most points during the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.

Turner, Britain’s most successful female rider of all time, became the first jockey to win the Silver Saddle in consecutive years, having also won it in 2018.

Her total of 40 points left her five points clear of Mark Zahra (35), with Filip Minarik and Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu joint-third on 32 points. Gerald Mosse and Jamie Spencer shared fifth place with 20 points each.

More than 100 guests joined Dubai Duty Free at the sell-out event hosted by Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who is celebrating his fiftieth anniversary guiding Dubai Duty Free from $20m sales in 1983 to last year’s mammoth new record of $2bn.

Speaking at the opening ceremony he said, “The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup heralded a new era for racing when it was introduced in 1999 and having struck the right balance between innovation and tradition, continues to grow in status.

“It has been successful in introducing many new faces to racing over the past two decades.

“This year’s event takes on even greater importance, having been given a significant prize money boost with each of the six races now boasting a prize fund of £60,000. Our international sporting story continues to grow.”

McLoughlin was joined by Dubai Duty Free’s Executive Vice President Corporate Services, Salah Tahlak, Senior Vice President Marketing, Sinead El Sibai and Marketing Supervisor Christine Feliciano.