2023 Shergar Cup Preview and Tips – DS
2023 Shergar Cup Preview
This is one of the least anticipated days on the racing calendar. These team events are not really my cup of tea but we’ll do our best to find a winner or two in the 2023 Shergar Cup. We also have a couple of races from Haydock and Newmarket, get Dave Stevos’ free previews and tips below. He also posted a York ante-post e/w double this week, check that out here. His tips for Saturday at the Curragh are here.
1.35 Ascot – Shergar Cup Dash (Class 2)
Judicial went very close in this race last year off a mark of 102. That was his second run after a 71 day break and this time, it is his second run back after a longer break. He finished off his 2022 campaign in fine fettle, winning a class 2 conditions at Beverley before going down by 0.5L to the 109 rated Summerghand in a Listed contest at Lingfield.
Julie Camacho’s son of Iffraaj had six months off after that run and he clearly wasn’t his usual self on his return to action at Newcastle last month. The 11yo tailed off in that G3 but he did similar at York last season before bouncing back immediately with that Beverley win.
Hollie Doyle will be bidding to become the third Doyle to win on this lad. Both James and Joe Doyle have won on him in the past. Good to soft ground should be fine for Judicial and off the same mark off which he was 2nd here last year, he is the e/w selection at odds of 25/1.
2023 Shergar Cup Tip: Judicial e/w @ 25/1 (4 places)
2.10 Ascot – Shergar Cup Stayers (Class 2)
At the time of writing there was still a lot of soft ground remaining on the round course at Ascot. That means these staying races will take a fair bit of getting. You need a horse that has bundles of stamina and the one that fits the bill for me is Alright Sunshine.
Formerly trained by Keith Dalgleish, this horse has previous at Ascot. He ran really well here in the Copper Horse off 99 in 2022, beat just 2.5l for the win in 4th. He was also arguably a shade unlucky in the same race off 105 in 2020 so we know that he acts on the track.
The son of Casamento has twice won on ground with soft in the description so conditions should be fine for him. He’s becoming well handicapped too, down to 94 now, 5lbs lower than he was when winning at Ripon last summer.
He’s won over 17.5f at Ayr so he is proven over this far and he’ll have the assistance of in-form Saffie Osborne in the plate. Alright Sunshine isn’t one for max stakes but there are enough positives to warrant an e/w bet at odds of 16/1.
2023 Shergar Cup Tip: Alright Sunshine e/w @ 16/1
2.25 Haydock – Betfred Handicap (Class 3)
It is currently good ground at Haydock but heavy rain is forecast before and during racing. Conditions are likely to deteriorate and I’m going to go with a horse that enjoys easy ground. Harswell Duke was certainly tempting but I think the handicapper might have him so instead, I’ll take a punt on Helm Rock for Richard Kingscote and the Kublers.
By Pivotal, this 5yo has been running ok so far this season. His best efforts came at Ascot (8f gd) and Sandown (8f gd) back in May when twice narrowly beaten off 92. After a couple more middling runs the handicapper has relented and Helm Rock is now down to a workable looking mark of 88.
He probably wouldn’t want it to turn heavy but genuine soft ground would be ideal. He has raced twice on that sort of ground, winning at Carlisle and finishing 2nd at Pontefract. Two of his last four wins came on good to soft (including here off 86 last September) so a drop of rain won’t inconvenience him. His yard hasn’t had a winner in three weeks but they’ve rattled the crossbar a couple of times and it surely won’t be long until one goes in for them. Hopefully it is Helm Rock and he is the e/w selection at odds of 20/1.
2023 Saturday Haydock Tip: Helm Rock e/w @ 20/1 (5 places) NAP
2.45 Ascot – Shergar Cup Challenge (Class 2)
The only horse I can make a case for here at a price is Dark Jedi. Trained by in form Tim Easterby, Declan McDonogh takes the ride and he should enjoy the ease in the ground at Ascot. He has admittedly been below par for much of this season but there was definite cause for optimism in his run behind the progressive Kihavah over a furlong further than this at Ayr two runs ago.
The son of Kodiac was sent off at just 7/1 last time at Ripon (12f sft). That was off 95 and he ran poorly so the assessor has now dropped him to 92. That’s 3lbs lower than he was when winning at Doncaster (14f hvy) last season so he is certainly well handicapped right now.
This horse acts on good ground too so if it does dry out a bit, that shouldn’t be an issue. His trainer has had a dozen winners in the past two weeks and he won’t lack for assistance from the saddle with ‘The Enforcer’ on the job. At odds of 12/1, Dark Jedi is the e/w selection.
2023 Shergar Cup Tip: Dark Jedi e/w @ 12/1
3.20 Ascot – Shergar Cup Mile (Class 2)
Not a race that makes much appeal from an e/w betting perspective. None of the outsiders really jump off the page as being overpriced, particularly on the rain softened ground. On a busy day it makes sense to sit this one out. No Bet.
2023 Shergar Cup Tip: No bet
3.40 Newmarket – Sweet Solera Stakes (Group 3)
There’s a few light showers forecast at Newmarket tomorrow but it is unlikely to be enough to alter the ground conditions. It should be genuine, good ground and that will suit the vast majority of these juvenile fillies.
Fallen Angel and Soprano both placed in Listed company last time and they head the market. That was on soft ground but the latter horse was also third in the G3 Albany at Ascot on good to firm so conditions will be fine for her. However, the bookies are taking no chances with either of those so I’ll go with an unexposed one at a bigger price.
Lovely Debut
Queen’s Reign is the mount of Rossa Ryan and she’s trained by Ed Walker. On debut she ran a lovely race to finish third at Haydock, around 4l behind Fallen Angel. The winner got first run and was better prepared for her debut but Queen’s Reign shaped very nicely under tender handling.
Walker’s filly made the most of that experience on her next run at Newmarket (7f gd). This time she raced more prominently and she was a lot more professional. 2f out Ross Coakley began to row away and though it took her a while, she eventually found top gear and quickened clear inside the final furlong.
This will clearly be a lot tougher than that Newmarket maiden but the daughter of Siyouni is nicely bred and she looks well worth a crack at his sort of level. Walker has given her plenty of time between runs, hopefully Queen’s Reign can take the step up in class in her stride and land some precious black type at odds of 14/1.
2023 Newmarket Saturday Tip: Queen’s Reign e/w @ 14/1 NB
3.55 Ascot – Shergar Cup Classic (Class 3)
The only outsider I can make a decent case for here is Struth. Trained by Charlie Johnston, this son of Australia went close here on his penultimate start. Racing off 95, he was beat 1.75l over this C&D on good to soft by Oneforthegutter. He then ran poorly off the same mark on bad ground at Goodwood and the assessor has dropped him a pound to 94.
His sole handicap win came at the start of the season at Chester (12f sft). Joe Fanning rode him patiently that day and he finished off really well to win by 0.75l off 86. An excellent effort followed at Doncaster (14f gd) when beat 2l and he has twice since proved he can be competitive off his current mark of 94.
There should be plenty of early pace on here so I’m hoping Matthew Chadwick rides this gelding quietly, just like Joe Fanning did when he won at Chester. If he does, Struth is capable of hitting the frame here at odds of 18/1.
2023 Shergar Cup Tip: Struth e/w @ 18/1
4.30 Ascot – Shergar Cup Sprint (Class 2)
With a bit of an ease in the ground to suit, Russet Gold is the e/w play here. Trained by Roger Varian, the inimitable Olivier Peslier will take the ride. This son of Al Kazeem has run really well the last twice. He disappointed on his seasonal bow at Espom but he put that behind him on his next outing.
At Redcar (5f gd) he landed his first handicap win off a mark of 85 under David Egan. Last time out he was upped in class at Pontefract (5f gd/sft) and while he only finished 5th, he was just 1.5l behind the winner (who had the run of the race).
To my eye it looked like Russet Gold got a shade outpaced 2f out and the way he ran on down the outside suggested that he was well worth another crack at 6f. He placed on good to soft at York last year so he should be fine on the ground and he proved he can go close off his current rating of 90 the last day. 16/1 looks pretty big, hopefully Peslier can work his magic and get Russet Gold into the frame.
