Racing: Chadwick stars as Rest of the World easily win Shergar Cup

Team GB may have swept almost all before them in the London Olympics, but even with the addition of Ireland’s finest, the home crew were well beaten in yesterday’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot.

The annual international jockeys’ challenge was won easily by the Rest of the World team for whom Matthew Chadwick, representing China, was the star. His contribution of three second places and victory in the final race gave Chadwick – who races in Hong Kong – an individual score of 45, only one behind last-placed GB and Ireland’s total of 46.

The Rest of the World eventually finished on 89 points in the series in which 15 points go to the winner, ten to the second, seven to third, five for fourth and three for fifth.

Europe, captained by Frankie Dettori, came second with 56 points, one point ahead of the first all-women’s team to compete in the Cup. Hayley Turney captained the women, whose points all came from placings as they did not win any of the six events.

The possible outcome looked so different when home team captain Kieren Fallon won the first race on Marcus Tregoning’s Boom and Bust, justifying favouritism in the Les Ambassadeurs mile handicap.

Address Unknown was also a winning favourite, the 9-2 shot lifting the Redstone Stayers Cup for Andreas Suborics of Germany.

Christian Demuro’s win on 11-2 shot Desert Law in the Barclays Dash put Europe in a good position, but after James Doyle won for GB & I in the Titanic Belfast Classic Handicap aboard 2-1 favourite Sun Central, it was one-way traffic for the Rest of the World for whom Chadwick had kept them up front.

Aaron Gryder and Chadwick closed things out with wins in the Michael Page International and the Dubai Duty Free Sprint aboard Viking Storm (5-1) and Roger Charlton’s Mince (6-1) respectively.