The Australian jockey Mark Zahra made his first visit to Ascot a winning one when taking the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge on Indianapolis (7/1) for trainer James Given.
It was a first success today for the Rest of the World team and Zahra’s win, alongside Genetics’ runner-up spot under Vincent C. Y. Ho, has helped to take their team to second place on 40 points, just behind Europe on 42.
“It is a great feeling coming back to scale and something I have wanted to do for a long time,” said Zahra after coming late with his run on Indianapolis 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 100m!
“The trainer [James Given] told me this horse is a bit quirky and not to get there too early, but also not to get there too late! It was just a matter of timing it.
“I thought I was always going to get the lead and it helped when the second horse hung out wide – my horse saw him and gave him an urge,” added Zahra.
INDIANAPOLIS HELPS HIS OWNER
FULFIL HIS DREAMS
The James Given-trained Indianapolis won the one-mile, four furlongs £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge, ridden by Mark Zahra for the Rest of the World Team.
The Galileo four-year-old, who was bought privately out of Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard last autumn, was a 7/1 chance and swooped late to beat Genetics (Andrew Balding and Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu) by half a length.
Given said: “The race didn’t quite unfold the way I hoped it would. Obviously they had sorted themselves out with a pacemaker in there. We were a bit further back which, with the draw, was always going to be a danger. But Mark switched him off and travelled round saving his energy, switched outside; the horse just coming up on his outside as well just helped generate some momentum. Once he got going I thought, ‘We are going to do this’, but for a while we were a bit far back.
“He got going and he deserves a race like this. He was fourth in the Old Newton Cup and had run very well at York from a very unpromising position. He’d run well at Doncaster in a conditions race just behind Red Verdon of Ed Dunlop’s, so he deserved to have a race like this.
“He’s doing what Alex [Owen, the owner] wanted him to do – come to days like this. His wife Olwen is here in a wheelchair and the horse is fulfilling what Alex wanted. You can’t buy days like this.”
It means that Mark Zahra is second in the Silver Saddle contest with 25 points, just four points behind leader Filip Minarik (29 points), and Zahra’s Rest of the World Team are on 40 points, second Europe on 42 at the halfway stage of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup 2019.
HO DENIED ON GENETICS
Rest of the World rider Vincent C. Y. Ho finished a half-length second in the 12-furlong £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge aboard the Andrew Balding-trained Genetics (7/1).
The long-time leader was caught in the shadows of the post by Ho’s Rest of the World team-mate Mark Zahra aboard the James Given-trained Indianapolis (7/1).
The duo picked up 25 points for the Rest of the World who are now in second place in the team competition on 40 points. Team Europe lead on 42 points.
Ho said: “Genetics ran a very good race. I just think the trip found him out in the closing stages, but I was delighted with his run.”
The Ian Williams-trained Mandarin (4/1) was a nose behind in third under Team Europe captain Filip Minarik who leads the Silver Saddle on 28 points. He remarked: “We had a bad draw and a bad start. I had to ride Mandarin patiently from the back. I was too far back and the pace wasn’t strong – but that is racing.”
Team Europe’s Adrie De Vries rode the Ian Williams-trained Restorer (fifth). He commented: “Restorer ran a good race. I was caught a little bit further back than ideal, but he stayed on strongly – I’m pleased with the effort.”
RESULT 3
2:15pm £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge 1m 3f 211y
1 (10) Indianapolis (IRE) p 4 9 7 James Given Mr Alex Owen Mark Zahra ROW 7/1
2 (6) Genetics (FR) 5 9 4 Andrew Balding DJT Racing Partnership Vincent C. Y. Ho ROW 7/1
3 (11) Mandarin (GER) 5 9 4 Ian Williams Sohi & Sohi Filip Minarik EUR 7/2FAV
4 (9) Koeman 5 9 3 Mick Channon Peter Taplin & Susan Bunney Nanako Fujita (3) GIRLS 12/1
5 (4) Restorer 7 9 7 Ian Williams Dr Marwan Koukash Adrie de Vries EUR 14/1
6 (8) Hyanna 4 9 2 Eve Johnson Houghton Mr G. C. Vibert Tadhg O’Shea GBI 8/1
7 (5) Big Kitten (USA) 4 9 6 William Haggas Mr Hussain Alabbas Lootah Yuga Kawada ROW 6/1
8 (2) Reshoun (FR) p 5 9 7 Ian Williams Michael Watt & Roy David Jamie Spencer GBI 10/1
9 (3) Melting Dew p 5 9 6 Sir Michael Stoute Mr Robert Ng Hayley Turner GIRLS 7/1
10 (12) Badenscoth 5 9 5 Dean Ivory Mr Peter J. Skinner Danny Tudhope GBI 10/1
Non-Runner: Temple Church (Going) replaced by reserve Hyanna
Time: 2m 33.40s
Distances: ½, ns, ½, 1¼, nk, 2, 1¾, 1½, 6
Tote win: £8.10 PL: £2.30 £2.60 £1.60 Ex: £77.60 CSF: £55.82 Tricast: £202.57 Trifecta: £395.60