Shergar Cup (...any point?)

SteveM

SteveM

At the Start
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Is anyone the least bit interested in Saturday’s Shergar Cup card? Is it a virtually pointless meeting and a waste of a Saturday, or does it have redeeming features?
 
A couple of good horses have run in the races, such as Prohibit and Set the Trend last year.

However, it is really just a series of decent handicaps over a range of distances.

These handicaps can be decent betting opportunities, and they are often a good opportunity for horse that are just shy of listed class to get a biggish pot.
 
Reasonable points. However it is the last sort of thing I want to be going to see on a Saturday. Isn't it a waste of prime time for the race goer, or do other people enjoy it?
 
I completely agree with you in the sense that it is not my cup of tea.

However, I think the races are better as handicaps. Conditions races were only going to work if there was a huge push to make the races group races, and then the international championship side of it wouldn't work.
 
I'm just a bit bemused as to why it exists. Does anyone get behind the idea of 'teams' competing against each other and captains... why?
 
Not really. I think it is just a bit of fun and an excuse to get bums on seats at Ascot.

I can understand people getting upset about Champions' Day (not that I am sure I agree with it), but is this not just a bit of harmless fun? It isn't messing up with the pattern, it does seem to be popular with punters.
 
Best to switch off from racing for a few weeks now. Tune back in for York, and you'll be much happier, and not lose money betting on rubbish.
 
I suppose it does attract an audience... I can't see why though, I don't get the context... I'm surprised others do.
 
Don't Ascot get some of their best non-Royal Ascot crowds for this?

Anyway, I'm sure the meeting would still exist as just another Saturday card if the jockey gimmicks didn't exist, and no-one would ever complain.
 
I quite like it to be honest, the opportunity to see Yutake Take riding a Mick Easterby sprinter is one not to be missed.

I think that often jockey bookings are taken into account too much in this event and you often find that horses with unknown foreign jockeys are a point or so bigger just because people aren't as familiar with the jockey. An example being this race:

http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=511279&r_date=2010-08-07&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS

Opera Gal should have been fav and probably would have been if Murtagh was on.
 
Thanks Stan... I was trying to unearth anyone with something positive to say... the words were sticking in my throat.
 
I don't see how it's different from any other Saturday. What percentage of flat races in the UK run on Saturday are handicaps? It's a lot higher than you think.
 
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They advertise tickets for this at my work (I work for a big blue chip) so i suspect there are a lot of corporate block bookings for this event. Don't they put on some music after?
 
Bar the Bull said:
Sounds like my Shergar Cup Forum Competition idea might not be a resounding success.
Click to expand...
Gearoid said:
Make it an international competition :lol:
Click to expand...

How about a Plumpton Monday instead?

They have Ladies Day on September 18th, which of course is unfortunately a Sunday, not a Monday.
You can't have everything though, so don't start with your moaning!

:)
 
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