Although perhaps not quite as well-known as the Grand National, the Cheltenham Cup or the Ascot Gold Cup, the Shergar Cup is still one of the biggest features on the summer UK horse racing calendar.
The 2025 Shergar Cup (officially known for sponsorship reasons this year as the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup), took place at Ascot Racecourse where it is always held (apart from in 1999, when it was first held at Goodwood), and this year’s winner with 68 points was team Asia, beating Team Europe in second place by just 1 point.
The question being asked here is, does Team Asia’s Shergar Cup win show that horse racing’s reach and innovation stretches across the globe? Let’s dive straight in to find out.
What were the final standings?
For the first time in the history of the Shergar Cup, Team Asia was victorious. Captained by Suraj Narredu, the team entered the history books with some impressive performances. Here’s how the final table looked at the end of this year’s event:
- Winner: Team Asia. Total points: 68
- Winner: Team Europe. Total points: 687
- Winner: Team Great Britain & Ireland. Total points: 62
- Winner: Team Rest of the World. Total points: 55
Also riding for team Asia this year were Mirai Iwata and Ryusei Sakia. The historic win was, in fact, sealed by jockey Mirai Iwata on horse Cerulean Bay in the final race by coming in second. The two victories for team Asia were in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers (Suraj Narredu on Fireblade) and the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint (Ryusei Sakai on Prince Of India).
How popular are UK races in Asia?
UK horse racing events like the Shergar Cup are hugely popular in parts of Asia, including parts of Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, and Japan, and especially in countries with strong historic ties to the United Kingdom. This year’s event and Team Asia’s surprise win were also a huge deal in India.
The Shergar Cup and many other major UK horse races are also extremely popular betting markets on today’s safest online sportsbooks that allow paying through your phone to top up your account and cash out your winnings.
British and Irish riders can often by found riding in India in the winter, or further afield in Hong Kong, and Singapore, where a strong ex-pat community ensures there are job opportunities.
Asia’s win goes to show just how much UK horse racing’s reach and innovation stretches across the globe.
Fun facts about the Shergar Cup
The Shergar Cup was first run in 1999 at Goodwood, and since then, it has always been held at Ascot Racecourse. It takes place each year in August, and it is one of the most unique horse racing competitions out there due to its format.
A total of twelve jockeys race in one of four teams, and, depending on where they finish in their respective races, will determine how many points they have earned and their team’s overall score.
Unlike in most horse racing events, where the jockeys wear the silks of that horse’s owner, they wear specific team colours instead. By the end of the competition, when all six races have ended, the points are tallied up to determine the winner. The other notable award that can also be won at the Shergar Cup is the Silver Saddle, or Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle, which also works the same. In other words, whoever has the most points at the end of the day wins the Silver Saddle award.
The same team event has rarely been tried in Jumping. Those with long memories may recall a World Jump Jockeys Championship at Cheltenham in the mid-eighties, whilst Warwick staged an Anglo-Soviet Jockeys Challenge in 1990.
Major horseracing events still to come in 2025
Don’t worry if you missed out on all of the action from the 2025 Shergar Cup or any of the other race meetings mentioned above, because there are still several more to come throughout 2025.
For example, some of the biggest upcoming horse races in the United Kingdom over the coming months are this week’s York Ebor Festival, the Summer Celebration at Sandown Park, the Sprint Celebration Cup at Haydock Park, and British Champions Day at Ascot.
Further afield, you have the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France, The Everest in Australia, and the Breeders’ Cup in the United States. That’s not forgetting to mention the Melbourne Cup in Australia and the Japan Cup.
Final thoughts
The innovative format, entertainment aspect, historical prestige, strong links to the monarchy, accessibility of UK horse racing in many parts of Asia, and the fact that it’s now possible to gamble on these events and watch them live without having to be in the UK also helps UK horse racing continue to thrive, appealing to new audiences in exciting new ways.
Various other technological breakthroughs and emerging technologies over the coming years will also help raise its global profile.
On a final note, if you decide to place a wager on any UK horse racing event, remember to stick to betting on legally permitted sportsbooks that are fully licensed and regulated to offer real money betting services to people in your country.
Before signing up anywhere, don’t forget to check out the expert reviews first, just to determine if the site is safe or not.
