Suraj Narredu and Ryusei Sakai celebrate Ascot triumph in Shergar Cup as Asia edge Europe by just one point; Ebt's Guard's late win not enough for Europe; Hugh Bowman wins Silver Saddle for best jockey
Pictured: Ryusei Sakai proudly holds the Japanese flag after winning the Shergar Cup.
The 2025 Shergar Cup was won by Asia after a thrilling final race at Ascot.
Under the guidance of Indian jockey Suraj Narredu, Team Asia, competing for the first time since the change of the women's team, took two wins from six races and took a vital second place in a tight final battle, one point ahead of Europe.
Narredo, joined by Ryusei Sakai and Mirai Iwata, achieved a 'magic' success in the Stayers competition on Fireblade, while Sakai represented Japan after triumphing in the sprint on Prince Of India.
Shergar Cup Events
Vintage Clarets gave the Rest of the World a great start with a Dash win under the experienced Hugh Bowman.
His teammate Karis Titan helped Team Venture Capital earn additional points by finishing third, while Team Asia Vespasian, led by Ryusei Sakai, tied for first and second place.
For Narredo, it was a “dream come true” moment when Fireblade confidently won the Stayers competition for Team Asia.
During the measured two-mile race, the 40-year-old athlete was the first to attack, breaking away from all rivals by almost two lengths.
Pictured: Suraj Narredu smiles after winning the Shergar Cup at Ascot
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan gave Great Britain and Ireland their first win of the day as Knight Breeze rose to the challenge.
Sakai is no stranger to triumphs around the world and he added Ascot to his list by guiding Prince Of India to victory in the sprint while Asia struck again.
Europe then scored its first victory in the competition when favourite Tenability cleared the fences in the 12-furlong classic.
Ridden by the greatest French rider of all time, Delphine Santiago, Tenability found herself locked behind a wall of horses early in the straight, but once a gap opened up at the fence, the son of Frankel surged ahead to take a neck clear of Team Player and Dario Di Tocco.
Pictured: Narredu celebrates Fireblade's Shergar Cup win
Team Ebt Guard (13-2) won the Mile under Per-Anders Graberg, but his European team suffered a crushing defeat in the competition as the Asian team won by one point.
Asia took the overall win with 68 points, Europe with 67, and the UK and Ireland in third place with 62 points, ahead of the rest of the world with 55 points.
Hugh Bowman won the Silver Saddle as the best jockey.
Sourse: skysports.com
