Dubai Duty Free Managing Director Ramesh Cidambi presents the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup to the Ladies Team accompanied by (L-R) Alpana Cidambi, Breeda McLoughlin, former Executive Vice Chairman & CEO Colm McLoughlin, Sinead El Sibai and Anna Khan.

Familiar faces from the duty free and travel retail industry joined a crowd of more than 27,500, the biggest outside of the Royal Meeting, who flocked to Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 10 August to see the Ladies’ Team successfully defend their Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup title for a second consecutive year.

A record prize money of GBP 500,000 was up for grabs across the event’s six races.

Four teams assembled to battle it out in the world’s premier international jockeys’ competition which, for the first time, featured an equal representation of male and female riders with the Rest of the World team made up of international women jockeys from Australia, Japan and South Africa.

They faced the formidable Ladies Team, and two teams of three riders each representing Europe and Great Britain & Ireland.

Senior executives from Dubai Duty Free were in attendance, including Colm McLoughlin (who has retained an advisory role at the retailer following his retirement in May, and is Chairman of the Dubai Duty Free Foundation) along with his wife Breeda.

Managing Director Ramesh Cidambi and Senior Vice President – Marketing Sinéad El Sibai were also in attendance, warmly hosting guests and presenting the winners with their well-earned trophies.

Breeda McLoughlin (centre) with TRBusiness’ Editorial Director Luke Barras-Hill, MD Ben Webb, Nikki Hardy and Co-owner & Joint Chief Executive Officer Nigel Hardy.

Members of the TRBusiness team were honoured to be in attendance to experience the thrilling racing action and first-class hospitality.

Familiar faces from the duty free and travel retail industry also soaking up the day’s events included Fraser Brown, Retail Director at Heathrow; Andrew Carter, CEO, Chapel Down Group; and Garry Maxwell, Director, GMAX Travel Retail.

TRBusiness MD Ben Webb; Co-owner & Joint Chief Executive Officer Janice Hook; and Managing Editor Faye Bartle.

Galloping to victory

The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup attracted many of the sports leading owners and trainers and drew a star-studded line-up of domestic and international riders.

Among the brightest stars was Ladies’ Team captain, Hayley Turner, who last month racked up her 1000th winner and, ahead of the 2024 renewal, was already acknowledged as the event’s most successful participant leading the tables for most winners and most points scored in the 16 years she has taken part.

The opener, the five-furlong Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash, went to South Africa’s only professional female rider and Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup debutante Rachel Venniker.

Alpana Cidambi presents the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day Trophy to Rachel King with (l-r) Ramesh Cidambi, Breeda McLoughlin, Colm McLoughlin and Senior Vice President – Marketing, Sinead El Sibai.

Venniker was joined at the head of the table after the next race, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers (the longest of the day at over two miles) when Hayley Turner added to her totals with a dynamic ride on Ranch Hand.

He would normally wear the Mill Reef black and yellow colours of the Kingsclere Racing Club – here it was the pink and black of the Ladies Team.

It was victory for the yellow and black of the Rest of the World team, sported by another female rider, Rachel King on Insanity, in the next race, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge – a performance which was to earn her the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day.

Rachel King had to be at her strongest to win the battle with runner up Dream Harder for Europe and Spanish rider Jose-Luis Borrego. This was another pulsating finish with the crowd cheering the Great Britain & Ireland team, neck and neck at the top of the points table with the Rest of the World.

The 15 points for a win and 10 for second, however, means that the league table can change in a heartbeat – as it did right up to sixth and final race.

Former champion apprentice Billy Loughnane, the youngest rider on all the teams, and the tallest, he followed up his Royal Ascot successes with a straightforward victory for Great Britain & Ireland with Jarraaf, owned by H.H Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint.

Former Executive Vice Chairman & CEO Colm McLoughlin presents the Silver Saddle trophy to Hayley Turner.

The result brought radical changes in the standings. The Great Britain & Ireland team surged clear, as did Loughnane for the individual jockeys’ trophy, the Silver Saddle.

With two races to go, next up was the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic over 12 furlongs and it appeared that Great Britain & Ireland had the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup in their grasp.

The winner was Going Remote, trained by celebrated Irish trainer Jessica Harrington, and ridden by Kazakhstan jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, four times champion jockey in Germany.

This was another raging battle as Going Remote and Houstonn fought one another almost to a standstill, with Champagne Prince finishing fast to separate them.

Going into the final race, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile, Europe and Great Britain & Ireland were inseparable at the top of the table with 55 points apiece, with the Ladies Team in last place and Turner only in fifth in her aim for the Silver Saddle.

All was to change with Turner getting up in the final stride aboard New Image to pip her teammate Joanna Mason on Ian Williams’ Yantarni and their combined efforts took the Ladies’ Team to their fourth Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup victory in six years and handing the Silver Saddle Trophy to Turner.

“Once again the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup has delivered thrilling racing and truly international competition,” said Cidambi. “Hayley’s contribution to the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and the promotion of female riders in the sport has been outstanding and I congratulate her and also thank all those who took part for making this a truly memorable event.”

Final team standings:
·      Ladies Team 71 points
·      Europe 60 points
·      Rest of the World 58 points
·      Great Britain & Ireland 55 points

In the evening, guests were treated to a post-racing concert featuring the Sugababes, Ministry of Sound Ibiza Anthems ft. Ellie Sax, Scouting For Girls and Denise van Outen doing a DJ set.

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