Horse Racing
Moore shows class with Shergar Cup double to win Silver Saddle
Ryan Moore advertised his class with a Shergar Cup double at Ascot, helping his Great Britain and Ireland team land the main event while he also picked up the Alastair Haggis Silver Saddle for leading rider at the meeting.
It is 20 years since the leading jockey last took part in the unique challenge – when he was also leading rider – but the movement of the Phoenix Stakes card at the Curragh to Sunday meant he was free to take part and he showed the big crowd just what they have been missing in his absence.
He first struck on Dylan Cunha’s Asgard’s Captain (13-2) who stuck to his task gamely to win the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge by a length and a quarter from Yutaka Take on Sportingsilvermine for the Rest of the World.
“Dylan did say he can be a little bit lazy and just help him through it. He’s got a very good attitude, he’s an uncomplicated horse, he stays well. It was very straightforward,” said Moore.
“I am sure all the owners are delighted. They said they were looking forward to it, so it is a good job the horse has performed today.
“I had nothing else on today so it’s nice to be here. It is nice to see the likes of Yutaka (Take) and Christophe (Lemaire) – it is great to see Yutaka still going.”
In the penultimate Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic he gave Marco Botti’s Archers Bay (5-2) a textbook ride coming home three and a quarter lengths clear of Lemaire on King Of Berkshire for Team Europe.
Having run in the Italian Derby earlier in the season he looked the class act and so it proved.
Moore said: “It was very straightforward and he won comfortably. Archers Bay is a horse I know actually, from Ballydoyle. Jimmy Quinn does all the work on him at home and he has been telling me how well he was.
“He enjoys fast ground. It probably was not a strong race for the grade, but he travelled comfortably and won easy. He was just a sit and point really.
“It is always nice to ride winners anywhere and I am just fortunate to draw this lad today. He was good.”
In the closing Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile Moore finished third on Ozat behind the Frida Valle Skar-ridden Crown Board (10-1) but her Team Europe were not in contention for top honours by then.
Moore won the Alastair Haggis Silver Saddle with 47 points ahead of Lemaire in second on 35.
