July, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Star-Studded Line-up For Shergar Cup as Dettori Captains European Team

The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup has attracted a star-studded line-up with Frankie Dettori, Kerrin McEvoy and Hollie Doyle committed at this year's team event which takes place on Aug. 6 at Ascot.

There will be 10 nations represented across the four teams for the 21st renewal of the Shergar Cup with Dettori, the most successful jockey in Royal Ascot history of those who still hold a licence, captaining the European team.

Dettori, who will be making his 11th appearance at the Shergar Cup, said, “It's been a few years since I've ridden in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and I'm looking forward to it. I love Ascot and it's always a great day so I hope people put it in their diary and come along to have a good time and enjoy something a bit different.

“The European team looks really strong. I remember when we won it in 2014 it was a really special day and hopefully we can lift the trophy again this year.”

Dettori will be joined by compatriot Antonio Fresu as well as last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Rene Piechulek from Germany and nine-times champion Spanish jockey Jose-Luis Martinez.

The Great Britain and Ireland team will be captained by Jamie Spencer, who is one of just a handful of jockeys to have ridden more than 2,000 winners, including 26 at Royal Ascot. He will have Danny Tudhope, who enjoyed an excellent Royal Ascot this year with four winners, Neil Callan and Kieran Shoemark alongside him.

The Ladies team, victorious last year for the third time, will once again be captained by Hayley Turner and she will be joined by last year's Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle winner Nicola Currie and multiple Royal Ascot winner Hollie Doyle. The side is completed by Canadian star Emma-Jayne Wilson, who has appeared at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup six times, including when on the winning side in 2015.

Turner said, “I love the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, it's always one of my favourite days of the year. It's great for the event to have lots of international riders travelling over for the day again and I'm excited to have Emma-Jayne back again on our team.

“Winning last year for the third time was really special as they let me keep the trophy which I've now got at home. The Ladies look strong again with Hollie and Nicola so hopefully. we can retain the crown and win the new trophy as well.”

The Rest of the World team features two of Japan's leading riders at the moment in Takeshi Yokoyama and French-born Christophe Lemaire who represents Japan as a JRA licensed jockey. They are joined by three-time Melbourne Cup winner Kerrin McEvoy from Australia and New Zealander Jason Collett, who has enjoyed a superb season in Sydney.

Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Public Affairs at Ascot Racecourse, said, “This is an exciting year for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup which is breaking new ground with an extended race programme, more jockeys riding and more prize money on offer than ever before.

“In fact, with £500 available to the horses that finish 11th or 12th, and no entry fees, it is all upside for running in these unique races. Additionally, we will also have our stable bonus scheme in operation for the second time following the King George, with £20,000 going to the three leading trainers on the day and £5,000 to their staff.”

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Have A Seat: No Need To Stand While Ridden Horses Urinate

Though most riders have been taught to stand in the stirrups when the horse they're riding urinates, the need to “get off his kidneys” isn't necessary, EQUUS magazine reports.

A horse's kidneys and bladder are located beneath layers of muscle and bone, much deeper and more protected than where a saddle sits on his back. There is no possibility of a rider's weight affecting the horse's ability to urinate or empty his bladder completely.

Though it may be easier for the horse to stretch out if the rider stands, sitting very still may have the same effect.

Yoshida Hails ‘Amazing Market’ As JRHA Records Tumble

It doesn't seem to matter where you are in the world: bloodstock sales are booming. That was certainly the case for the opening day and sole session of yearlings at the JRHA Select Sale, which reached new highs after last year's record-breaking trade.

At Y12,870,000,000 (£78.7m/€93m), the aggregate for the session improved by 10.6% from 2021 with a staggeringly high clearance rate of 95.3%, which was yet another record. Only 11 of the 233 yearlings offered returned unsold to their vendors, with the average price driven up 12.6% to an all-time high of Y57,972,973 (£355,000/€419,000).

“This is an amazing market. As it was a record-breaking market last year and I thought it would be difficult to beat it this year, this is a pleasant surprise,” said Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm, the largest consignor at the sale, who was responsible for the top eight lots in the sale.

“I am very impressed with the depth of buyers, which include a lot of newcomers. And the most important aspect of today's market is very high clearance rate.

“While this year's catalogue does not include any yearlings by Deep Impact, several stallions, such as Duramente, Epiphaneia, and some others, played the role of his replacement. I am very happy with the depth of young stallions in Japan now.”

Taking top honours on day one was lot 76, Northern Farm's colt by Maurice (Jpn) out of the treble Australian Classic winner Mosheen (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who was bought by Masahiro Noda of Danox Co Ltd for ¥450 million (£2.7m/€3.25m).

“The foals out of Mosheen have been getting better and better, crop by crop, and this yearling, who is the eighth foal out of Mosheen, is a fantastic individual,” said Yoshida. “Therefore, I set the highest reserve price [for him] in our consignment. Many owners and trainers who visited and saw him at Northern Farm were enchanted by him and I expected he would be expensive. But the price, 450 million yen, is much more than I expected.”

Noda was one of the leading buyers of the session and among six yearlings bought was another colt by Maurice, this one out of the 1,000 Guineas winner Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who was sold for ¥220 million (£1.3m/€1.6m).

The Japanese Guineas and Derby winner Duramente (Jpn), who died last year from colitis after becoming the country's leading first-crop sire of 2020, was responsible for the day's second-most expensive yearling (lot 96). The colt is the first foal of Jaywalk (Cross Traffic), a former champion 2-year-old filly in the U.S. and Breeders' Cup winner. He was knocked down at ¥300 million (£1.8m/€2.2m) to Two One Racing.

At the head of the fillies' division was another from Northern Farm, the daughter of Daiwa Major (Jpn) and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up Coasted (Tizway), who was offered as lot 58 and brought a top bid of ¥210 million (£1.3m/€1.5m) from Fujita Susumu.

Frankel (GB) has already been represented by three Grade I winners in Japan and his sole yearling in the catalogue (lot 23) was out of the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Jet Setting (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}). The mare was previously one of the stars of the Goffs London Sale when selling for £1.3 million to China Horse Club in 2016, and her colt fetched a bid of ¥155 million (£948,000/€1.1m) from American Turf.

The sales action continues in Hokkaido on Tuesday with the concluding foal session which includes a half-brother to Monday's session topper by Epiphaneia (lot 367).

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Cindy Hutter Suffered ‘Significant Brain Injury,’ Still In Coma After Saratoga Training Incident

Cindy Hutter, an exercise rider and the wife of trainer George Weaver, was injured on July 3 when the horse she was exercising on Saratoga's Oklahoma Training Track collapsed and died, pinning her underneath for a time.

Just over a week after the accident, Hutter is stable but remains in a coma, Weaver told the Daily Racing Form. Doctors' primary concern is a “significant brain injury” suffered in the accident. Hutter is able to respond to voice commands, but has yet to open her eyes.

Weaver said his wife is in for a lengthy recovery.

“We're going to coach her to get her back to herself as best we can,” Weaver told DRF. “Right now we cannot assess the extent of the damage and probably won't get an idea of the recovery we can expect for a year, maybe more. Everybody is different when it comes to brain injuries of this nature. They just don't know. Her condition is stable. She's healthy. She's got some broken ribs, a broken collarbone, all that stuff, but that's all insignificant compared to the brain injury. All that really matters now is her brain injury healing.”

Hutter was galloping Vindatude, a 3-year-old Mshawish filly owned and bred by her husband.