Racing
Shergar Cup 2021 explained – How does it work?
Saturday sees the annual Shergar Cup at Ascot and four teams will be battling it out to be crowned 2021 champions. This year sees the 20th running of the unique fixture – each of the six races on Saturday are worth £42,000, with a total prize fund of £252,000 up for grabs.
The Shergar Cup has split opinions over the years and many punters are not a fan of the team format but it’s still an integral part of the flat racing calendar and it will attract a huge crowd at Ascot on Saturday.
Having said that, due to Covid restrictions, this year’s competition has been altered slightly so read on to make sure you’re all set for Saturday’s action.
How the 2021 Shergar Cup Works
Four teams, twelve jockeys and six races. A total of 10 horses will run in each race, with points awarded to the first five crossing the line and the team that scores the most points over the six races will lift the 2021 Shergar Cup.
The point are allocated as follows:
1st place – 15 points
2nd place – 10 points
3rd place – 7 points
4th place – 5 points
5th place – 3 points
Each jockey will ride in five of the six races and each team will have two or three members riding in each race. As a side to the main team competition, the jockey that wins the most points over the six races will win the Silver Saddle trophy.
This year’s Ladies captain, Hayley Turner, has won the Silver Saddle the last twice and has amassed eight winners in her 13 Shergar Cup appearances so far.
The 2021 Shergar Cup Teams
In recent years, the competing teams have been Great Britain and Ireland, Europe, the defending champions, the Rest of the World, and a Ladies team.
With travel restrictions still in place due to Covid though, this 2021 Shergar Cup will still consist of four teams but in a slightly altered format. This year’s teams are:
Great Britain – Adam Kirby, Cieren Fallon, and James Doyle
Ireland – Joe Fanning, David Egan, and Tadg O’Shea
Rest of the World – Andrea Atzeni, Sean Levey, and Kevin Stott
Ladies – Hayley Turner, Nicola Currie, and Mickaelle Michel
Each team will wear different coloured silks – Great Britain will wear blue and black, Ireland will wear green and black, the Rest of the World will wear yellow and black, and the Ladies will wear cerise and black.
The 2021 Shergar Cup Races
There are six races throughout the afternoon, run over five different distances:
12:50 – The Shergar Cup Dash Handicap (5f)
13:25 – The Shergar Cup Stayers Handicap (2 miles)
14:00 – The Shergar Cup Challenge Handicap (1 mile 4f)
14:35 – The Shergar Cup Mile Handicap (1 mile)
15:10 – The Shergar Cup Classic Handicap (1 mile 4f)
15:45 – The Shergar Cup Sprint Handicap (6f)
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