Delpech has some decent rides in Shergar Cup
– Anthony Delpech has been priced up as the 11-2 third favourite to win the Silver Saddle at this year's Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot today.
While Gavin Lerena got close last year (He was pipped by Rest Of The World teammate Thierry Jarnet despite riding two winners) the only South African jockey who has won the Silver Saddle is Weichong Marwing in 2004.
Delpech will ride Cosmelli (2.40pm), Petite Jack (3.15pm), Brigliadoro (3.50pm), Glenys The Menace (4.25) and Lualiwa (5pm). According to UK experts Delpech has picked up a couple of handy looking rides and should make his presence felt. However, their concern is his lack of experience in the country as this will be his UK debut.
If the betting is an accurate guide, Lualiwa in the final race is his best ride of the day.
The six races of the Shergar Cup are limited to 10 runners with either two or three horses racing for each team (this balances itself out over the course of the afternoon), and points are awarded on a 15, 10, 7, 5, 3 basis to the first five horses home (non-runners score 4 points).
Subject to full fields, each jockey has five rides. This is to ensure that in the event of an injury, there is a spare jockey on each team who can assume mounts. The team with the highest total after the sixth race lifts the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. The jockey amassing the most individual points will take home an additional £3,000 (R54,000) plus the Alistair Haggis “Silver Saddle” trophy.
There are two reserves per race, who can be utilised up to 45 minutes before each contest is run.
The four teams comprise three top riders representing Europe, Great Britain and Ireland, Rest of the World and The Girls, all culminating in a thrilling six-race showdown. The teams are: Europe: Adrie De Vries (c), Alexander Pietsch, Umberto Rispoli
Girls: Emma-Jayne Wilson (c), Michelle Payne, Hayley Turner
Rest Of The World: Kerrin McEvoy (c), Anthony Delpech, Keita Tosaki
Great Britain & Ireland: Jamie Spencer (c), Fran Berry, Neil Callan
The Rest Of The World team have been priced up 2-1 favourites to win the trophy. The experts feel they have a good spread of rides across all three team members but Captain McEvoy has two leading chances bookending his day and therein could lie their success or failure.
This is McEvoy's second appearance in the Shergar Cup.
Poetic Charm can work her magic in the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket. The Dubawi filly is one of the least experienced horses in the Group 3 over
seven furlongs, but she is still likely to come out on top for the Godolphin operation.
Trainer Charlie Appleby will head to his local racecourse expectant of a huge run from Poetic Charm after she did so well on her debut over this course and
distance in July. Even in spite of having encountered trouble in running, the young filly bossed a strong-looking maiden, with jockey William Buick not needing to get overly serious.
Poetic Charm ended up winning by a length from Ballydoyle inmate Sizzling. And though it is disappointing that rival has since yet to poke her head in
front, a few horses in the field have subsequently found the winner's enclosure - most significantly fellow Sweet Solera rivals Juliet Capulet and Jousi.
Granted nominal progress, Poetic Charm can uphold the form in no uncertain terms, and in doing so provide Godolphin with a first winner of this race since 2013. Keep close tabs on Ay Ay in the preceding handicap over 2000m. The David Elsworth-trained three-year-old left a lasting impression over this course and distance a fortnight ago when he claimed fifth place behind Anythingtoday, beaten just over two lengths. That was Ay Ay's first start on turf, and also his first outing since April, when Elsworth thought him good enough to contest a Listed race on the Lingfield all-weather.
The son of Pour Moi has also been gelded in the interim, which seemingly did him no harm judged by his return at Newmarket. He runs at Newmarket off a teasing mark of 88, with his cause aided by the excellent David Egan, who claims 2.5kg.
Good racing at Haydock, with Sir Michael Stoute expected to head back to Freemason Lodge with two big prizes in safe-keeping.
Brigadier Gerard winner Autocratic was a late withdrawal from the York Stakes a few weeks ago, but Stoute's patience with him can prove a most virtuous characteristic in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes.
Stablemate Mittens later gets the chance to shine in the Listed Dick Hern Stakes over 1600m. And well she might if Pat Smullen adopts slightly more forceful tactics than David Probert did at Ascot last month, when she arguably got going too late in the Valiant Stakes. – Press Association RACE 7
1 DALLEY
RACE 3
8 BIBLICAL SUSAN