LONDON // The horses of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed could have a significant bearing on the outcome of the Shergar Cup at Ascot this afternoon. The international jockeys' challenge will see Anton Marcus, Yasunari Iwata and Luke Nolen, champion jockeys in South Africa, Japan and Australia respectively, form a Rest of the World team. The international trio will ride against teams from Britain, Europe and Ireland in six races, culminating in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint. Points are awarded for the first five finishers in each race, with the leading rider of the day given the 'Silver Saddle' trophy.
Sheikh Hamdan, the Crown Prince of Dubai, has Marcus, who won the Dubai Duty Free on World Cup night in 2008, riding the fancied Capercaillie in the Shergar Cup Sprint, the feature race, while Belgium's Christophe Soumillon pilots Below Zero. Richard Hughes and Jim Crowley get the mounts on Emerging Artist and Submariner, respectively, in the Shergar Cup Challenge while the Shergar Cup Classic will be particularly fascinating with Sheikh Hamdan's Jutland, ridden by Olivier Peslier, up against Fareej, the horse from the Godolphin stable which was founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai.
Although the thrill of competing with the best jockeys from around the world is important to acclaimed riders like Iwata and Nolen, they would both rather be at home with their families and riding out regular work. "If wasn't married, I would love be an ambassador for Japanese racing," Iwata said. "I have a wife and family now and I earn a decent living at home. It would be difficult for me to stay abroad for a long time.
