The 2026 edition of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot Racecourse featured what many consider the strongest line-up in the event’s history. Dubai Duty Free, a partner of the racecourse since the turn of the century, celebrated the occasion in style as the competition showcased elite international talent.
Ryan Moore made a triumphant return to the event after a 20-year hiatus, spearheading a decisive victory for the Great Britain & Ireland team. Moore, who previously led the same team to success during his 2006 debut, secured the Silver Saddle trophy for the most successful individual rider, accumulating 47 points throughout the day.
Following a seventh-place finish in the opening Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash, Moore demonstrated his class by placing in the top three across his four subsequent rides. His performance included victories in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge aboard Asgard’s Captain and the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic on Archers Bay.
Reflecting on his return, Moore stated: “It has been lovely. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s nice to be back here seeing jockeys like Yutaka Take and Christophe Lemaire—older jockeys who I was looking up to as a kid. Hopefully everyone has enjoyed it.”
Team captain Saffie Osborne also contributed significantly to the winning effort, securing a victory in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint on Red Spells Danger. With Dylan Browne McMonagle placing on four of his mounts, Great Britain & Ireland finished the day with a commanding total of 81 points.
Osborne praised the event’s atmosphere, noting: “It has been really good fun. As I said before, it’s a brilliant day to get new people involved in the sport and showcase what fun this industry is. It’s brilliant for a younger audience to be able to pick a team and follow them, and to have such world class jockeys here is brilliant.”
Competition newcomers Team Hong Kong made a strong impression, surging to an early lead after Jerry Chau and Vincent Ho achieved a 1-2 finish in the opening race. Luke Ferraris later added to their tally with a win in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers, earning him the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day award, as judged by former Derby-winning jockey John Reid MBE.
Despite their strong start, Team Hong Kong finished the day with 62 points, tied with Europe. The European team saw a late surge in performance as Frida Valle Skar and Christophe Lemaire secured first and second place in the final Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile. Reflecting on his debut, Jerry Chau remarked: “The day has gone better than I expected. To win the first race—which I did not expect—was great and showed me everything. A first ride and first winner at Ascot was a great experience for me.”
The Rest of the World team, comprised of Yutaka Take, Suraj Narredu, and Jamie Melham, concluded the competition in fourth place with 39 points. Narredu expressed his gratitude for the experience, stating: “It has been a great day to be part of, even though I did not ride a winner. It is an honour and a privilege to be part of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. There are 12 jockeys and only six races, so it happens that you can miss out, but I would love to come back again.”
Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, joined Senior Vice President of Marketing Sinead El Sibai and Senior Manager of Marketing Salim Dahman to host guests in the Ascot Racecourse Panoramic Suite. Cidambi concluded the day by saying, “Today we have enjoyed a fabulous renewal of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup with a stellar line-up of jockeys. Our guests drawn from multiple sectors including travel retail media, the horseracing industry and commercial partners witnessed a thrilling competition in first class surroundings.”
With a line-up widely regarded as the best ever in the history of the event, Dubai Duty Free (DDF) celebrated a partnership with Ascot Racecourse that extends to the turn of the century in fine style at the 2026 edition
Competition debutants Team Hong Kong stormed into an early lead when Jerry Chau and Vincent Ho registered a 1-2 in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash before Luke Ferraris scored 35 minutes later in the Dubai Duty Free
He said: “I am pleased with that, although I don’t think I can take too much credit for it as Ian Williams (trainer) produced the horse in such great order.
Competition debutants Team Hong Kong stormed into an early lead when Jerry Chau and Vincent Ho registered a 1-2 in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash before Luke Ferraris scored 35 minutes later in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers, an effort which earned him the Dubai Duty Free Ride of the Day, judged on behalf of the title sponsor by former English and Irish Derby winning jockey John Reid MBE.
We started off really well and, although we couldn’t keep it up to the end, I am thrilled to have ridden a winner.
I think we have done Hong Kong proud.
