Before this year’s Shergar Cup meeting all I had seen of Australian flat jockey Mark Zahra was a memorably painful picture of him at Flemington racecourse on Melbourne Cup day some years ago, his red and white colours almost obliterated beneath the half-tonne bulk of War Story, an accident in which he could well have suffered far worse injuries than the broken leg and wrist he sustained. After his five Ascot rides last Saturday British racegoers knew a lot more about him. He not only finished second to the crowd’s idol Hayley Turner in the contest for the silver saddle awarded to the rider with the most points, he took the ‘ride of the day’ award too for his effort in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge, getting up in the last strides in the 1m 4f contest on the James Given-trained Indianapolis. Said Zahra after coming late to score by a half length: ‘I took a leaf out of Jamie Spencer’s book, but I reckon he would have left it for another 100 metres! The trainer told me this horse is a bit quirky and not to get there too early, but also not to get there too late!’ That’s trainers for you, always making it easy.
The popular Hayley, with mum, dad, sister and granny in attendance, won two races on Eddystone Rock and Sapa Inca and was second on Pass The Vino, comprehensively demolishing the revived calls for women riders to be given a weight allowance. For most racing aficionados one of the best features of the ‘team event’ Shergar Cup is the chance to see international star riders and they did not disappoint. As well as Mark Zahra’s efforts, Hong Kong’s Vincent Ho rode coolly to win on Marcus Tregoning’s Power of Darkness and Filip Minarik of the Czech Republic, who rides mostly in Germany, prevailed in a tight four-horse finish to the opening sprint on Andrew Balding’s Stone of Destiny on his very first ride in Britain.
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