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The 2025 Shergar Cup

Ian_Davies

Ian_Davies

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May 7, 2023
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Hampshire
The mighty Shergar deserves to have something more appropriate (say, the Classic Trial he won at Sandown Park by ten lengths) carry his name than this team nonsense.

Though Ascot is only half an hour away, I've only been once (2012?) and the highlight was the 80s gig after racing, with Clare Grogan of Altered Images still looking cute as, Visage, Toyah and others before Jimmy Somerville blew the lot of them off the stage by performing every Bronski Beat/Communards hit totally en pointe.

But it's a half-decent card on a quiet Saturday and I'm determined to post at least one bet on this thread.

Feel free to join me, dearly beloved (or not so beloved) TH brethren and whatever the female equivalent of brethren is. 😂
 
Ian_Davies said:
The mighty Shergar deserves to have something more appropriate (say, the Classic Trial he won at Sandown Park by ten lengths) carry his name than this team nonsense.

Though Ascot is only half an hour away, I've only been once (2012?) and the highlight was the 80s gig after racing, with Clare Grogan of Altered Images still looking cute as, Visage, Toyah and others before Jimmy Somerville blew the lot of them off the stage by performing every Bronski Beat/Communards hit totally en pointe.

But it's a half-decent card on a quiet Saturday and I'm determined to post at least one bet on this thread.

Feel free to join me, dearly beloved (or not so beloved) TH brethren and whatever the female equivalent of brethren is. 😂
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I'm afraid that Soyah Wilcox has had a talent bypass and never was taken by Somerville's weak falsetto. He would've done well to listen to Curtis Mayfield and he might've learnt something. 'En pointe' means up to the standard of the original. Unfortunately the originals were poor. Popular but poor.
I wonder if Clare is still predominantly a photographer these days.
 
yorick said:
I'm afraid that Soyah Wilcox has had a talent bypass and never was taken by Somerville's weak falsetto. He would've done well to listen to Curtis Mayfield and he might've learnt something. 'En pointe' means up to the standard of the original. Unfortunately the originals were poor. Popular but poor.
I wonder if Clare is still predominantly a photographer these days.
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Game of opinions, Yorick! 😂
 
Oh is it that this Saturday 🙄.
Mind you. I remember having the doughty stayer of Mark Johnson Themaxwecan at 33s on the Thursday of the 2022 meeting, before Spencer despatched his rivals with a winning sp of 9/1. Happy memories there then. I suppose I'll have a butchers this coming Thursday.
 
I bet that as well - someone who also lives in Brighton drew my attention to it, funnily enough.

The same source also told me Torquator Tasso was worth a look in the Arc the year he won it - I was dining out off backing and putting up that 130 on the machine winner for literally years. 😂

They're obviously all good judges in Brighton, the City that is perpetually "helping the Police with their inquiries." 😂
 
Ian_Davies said:
I bet that as well - someone who also lives in Brighton drew my attention to it, funnily enough.

The same source also told me Torquator Tasso was worth a look in the Arc the year he won it - I was dining out off backing and putting up that 130 on the machine winner for literally years. 😂

They're obviously all good judges in Brighton, the City that is perpetually "helping the Police with their inquiries." 😂
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The one and only time I went to Brighton races I had arranged to meet a friend who lived there.
He stitched me up good and proper saying we should meet in this 'really friendly' pub in the town centre.
I arrived at the pub before him (surprise,surprise) and was looking at the drinks on offer when a guy sprung out wearing leather hot pants and very little else.
With a wink he said "If you see anything you fancy please let me be your first port of call'
I turned around to leg it to see my friend pissing his sides at the entrance door to the pub!!!!
 
I've been to Brighton races a fair few times. often on my own, but I once had a pleasant day there with the aforementioned source and last year I had an equally-pleasant afternoon when guest in the O&T of a friend I later did a few Podcasts with.

I like it, beautiful on a sunny day still got a touch of the loveably-dodgy "Brighton Rock" about it what with the in-running drones suddenly rising up above the Towef blocks near post time - the racecourse hates that, but doesn't own the airspace so is powerless to stop it.
 
I'm about a 20 minute walk away, but it's so low quality fayre, I seldom bother.
It is their biggest meeting of the year this week. Sun shines on Friday, I might have a walk up.
 
It used to be a really good meeting and the main mile handicap used to be the equivalent of Class 2 standard today, attracting Lincoln and Royal Hunt Cup types, but ARC can always be relied upon to ruin the quality of everything they touch by making it as cheap to stage as possible.
 
It's a pretty dry and fairly sunny forecast the rest of the week.

I'll be keeping an eye on: stick readings, watering, wind speed/direction, the 48-hour declarations on Thursday and who is actually riding what.

Things I won't be doing include giving a flying **** which "team" wins and actually attending.
 
I like the right-handed angle.

Enemy's best left-handed runs have arguably been on Tapeta, but on Turf I'd say his best efforts have been going right handed.

Unless he gets special dispensation to race the other way round at York 😂, Saturday might be the August target.

And the trainer has made a career out of winning when many least expect him to.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Enemy is being plotted up for something, of that I'm sure. I just don't know what. The Ebor? The Ces?
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Any of the Shergar Cup races will be much easier than those two. I found a quote from Ian Williams in the Racing Post dated 22/9/2024.
" When you've got opportunities like the Shergar Cup and Racing League, they might not be everyone's cup of tea, but they should be embraced because of the prize-money they offer. You can see in our totals the difference it can make, and hopefully it'll continue to do so. "

In hindsight it would have better to have had this information last Thursday when Silent Age ( 11/1) won the final Racing League contest and over £25,000 at Wolverhampton by a short head.
 
I think the Shergar Cup is worth watching for future races of runners ridden by jockeys who are inexperienced around Ascot.
In 2022 in the two mile race I was going to back Island Brave but was put off by its rider Jose-Luis Martinez who had no experience at the course.
It was given a shocking ride given too much to do and beaten just over a length.
Next time out ridden by Gina Mangan it won at 15/2.
No wonder the trainers like the Shergar Cup format if their horse is ridden by an inexperienced pilot it is akin to schooling in public.
 

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