Love it or hate it – the Ascot Shergar Cup is back this weekend and despite being the ‘marmite’ event of British horse racing is entering the 24th renewal – suggesting they are doing something right.
So, with the Shergar Cup filling the void after Glorious Goodwood and the upcoming York Ebor Festival – we look at this year’s renewal. Including the format, which jockeys to look out for, the teams and just how the competition is won.
How Does The Shergar Cup Work? Rules, Format and How Points Are Scored
A bit like the Racing League that is also going on at the moment, the Ascot Shergar Cup is a unique horse racing team event.
It’s staged over just one afternoon at Ascot racecourse, with jockeys from around the world riding in teams over six races to try and win points for their sides.
Of course, the better a jockey does in the race will mean more points they score.
With all the points over the six races added up through the afternoon until we get a winning team after the final race.
2025 Shergar Cup Rules
- Six races make up the Shergar Cup (see below)
- Four Shergar Cup teams
- Each team will have three jockeys
- Each jockey will ride in five races
- Fields are limited to 10 horses (2 reserves)
- Each team will have two or three jockeys riding in each race
How Are The Shergar Cup Points Won?
The Shergar Cup team with the highest points after all six races win the trophy.
While the jockey with the most points on the day will also win £3,000 and the Silver Saddle.
Shergar Cup points are awarded to the first five finishers in each race.
- 1st – 15 points
- 2nd – 10 points
- 3rd – 7 points
- 4th – 5 points
- 5th – 3 points
2025 Shergar Cup Teams Sees Asia Join For First Time
See below the 2025 Shergar Cup teams this year – with four sides looking to win the most points.
There is a newly-formed Asia team this year too that is led by top Indian jockey Suraj Narredu and also included Japan’s Mirai Iwata, who rode for trainer William Haggas at Glorious Goodwood last weekend.
The Rest Of The World team are captained by Karis Teetan. With the Europe Shergar Cup team led by Sweden’s Per-Anders Gråberg.
While top British female rider Hollie Doyle will guide the girl’s team, who have won the last two Shergar Cups.
In fact, the girl’s team have by far the best recent overall record – winning five times since 2015.
However, there is no girls team in 2025, with the lady riders dotted about the other teams.
That said, top female riders Hollie Doyle and Jo Mason are in the GB and Ireland team. So you feel they will be big fancies with the horse racing betting sites to do well.
Asia
- Suraj Narredu (Capt) (male) (IND)
- Ryusei Sakai (male) (JPN)
- Mirai Iwata (male) (JPN)
Rest of the World
- Karis Teetan (Capt) (male) (MTN)
- Hugh Bowman (male) (AUS)
- Katie Davis (female) (USA)
Europe
- Per-Anders Gråberg (Capt) (male) (SWE)
- Dario Di Tocco (male) (ITA)
- Delphine Santiago (female) (FRA)
Great Britain and Ireland
- Hollie Doyle (Capt) (female) (GB)
- Robbie Dolan (male) (IRE)
- Joanna Mason (female) (GB)
Shergar Cup Races 2025
See below the six 2025 Shergar Cup races on Saturday.
Plus we’ve also tackled the key Shergar Cup trends and stats so that you can find the best horse profiles based on past winners of the race.
- 1:35 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash Cl2 (3yo+ 0-105) 5f ITV
- 2:10 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers (GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (4yo+ 0-100) 2m ITV
- 2:45 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge (GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (4yo+ 0-100) 1m4f ITV
- 3:20 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint Cl2 (3yo 0-100) 6f ITV
- 3:55 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic (GBBPlus Race) Cl3 (3yo 0-95) 1m4f ITV
- 4:30 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile Cl2 (4yo+ 0-105) 1m ITV
Is The Shergar Cup On ITV Racing? 📺
Yes, as well as being shown on Sky Sports Racing – the 2025 Ascot Shergar Cup will also be shown LIVE on the Saturday ITV Racing schedule.
Ascot Shergar Cup 2025 Date
📅Date: Saturday 9th August 2025
⌚Times: First Race 1:35, Last Race 4:30
🏆Grades: Class 2 and 3 Races
🏇Racecourse: Ascot
📺 TV: ITV/RTV
Shergar Cup History
The Shergar Cup was first staged back in 2000, with the Europe team – led by captain Pat Eddery – winning with 157 points.
Many people though the horse racing team event would just be a non-runner.
However, barring not being held in 2005 and in 2020 re Covid – the Shergar Cup has been a regular fixture in every other year.
Top jockey Frankie Dettori captaining the winning team in three of the first five Shergar Cups.
While in more recent years, recently retired Hayley Turner has guided the girls team to three wins since 2021.
Turner has also won the Silver Saddle (most points) three times since 2018.
Shergar Cup Winners
- 2000 – Europe
- 2001 – Rest Of The World
- 2002 – GB and Ireland
- 2003 – Rest Of The World
- 2004 – Rest Of The World
- 2005 – Not Held
- 2006 – GB and Ireland
- 2007 – Rest Of The World
- 2008 – Europe
- 2009 -Ireland
- 2010 – Ireland
- 2011 – Ireland
- 2012 – Rest Of The World
- 2013 – Europe
- 2014 – Europe
- 2015 – Girls
- 2016 – Rest Of The World
- 2017 – GB and Ireland
- 2018 – Girls
- 2019 – Rest Of The World
- 2020 – Not Held
- 2021 – Girls
- 2022 – GB and Ireland
- 2023 – Girls
- 2024 – Girls
