The Shergar Cup best bets

Ascot plays host to a truly international day of racing on Saturday with the Shergar Cup jockeys competition. In this preview, I will highlight what I think are the best four bets for Saturday afternoon.

1) Gerald Mosse Top Jockey (16/1 Ladbrokes)

Gerald Mosse is a fantastic French rider who has had good success on British soil for a number of years. I think he has a solid book of rides including Jack's Revenge, Mutual Regard and Sadler's Risk in particular. I just think he is overpriced in a market I normally wouldn't even look at.

2) Sweetnessandlight each way in the 12.55 (14/1 generally available)

Sweetnessandlight at Southwell, she's certainly improved since then!!!

I think 14/1 about this filly is a huge price in the opening race over a mile for Yasunari Iwata and trainer Jason Ward, who is vastly underestimated and a trainer I follow. This filly has definitely been the flag-bearer for this small operation based at Dante Stables in Middleham. She had a great year last year, rising up to a mark of 100 to start off in 2013. She was beaten a length by Woodland Aria at Leicester in a conditions event before running a belter at Royal Ascot. I felt her best run to date though was last time, again at Ascot in a muddling race where she wasn't very well positioned when they quickened and was caught in a pocket before staying on well late on. She has been steadily dropped by the handicapper and now lines up off a mark of 92. She is a huge price here and demands a fair bit more respect than her price may suggest.

3) Ahtoug to win the 2.05 (4/1 generally available)

Hopefully Joao Moreira will be smiling again after the Shergar Cup Dash.

Ahtoug is a little bit quirky, but looks to have optimum conditions tomorrow afternoon at Ascot. He was a fast finishing third in this race last year under Yutaka Take, and returns off the exact same mark. He has two races lately after a six month absence, both of which he ran well in over this course and distance. He will now be fully fit and should go very close indeed, with Racy as the biggest danger.

4) Shahdaroba each way in the 3.50 (11/2 generally available)

Kieren Fallon rarely rides for Rod Millman.

Shahdaroba looks to have outstanding claims in the Shergar Cup Sprint, the last race of the day at Ascot. Kieren Fallon has ridden just once for the stable in the last five seasons, and Shahdaroba looks to be taking a bit of a drop in class here as well. He ran over a mile at Chepstow last time out, and only got reeled back inside the final furlong, so a drop of two furlongs in trip is definitely not a problem. Most of the other runners are badly out of form and/or inconsistent, which makes him a rattling each way bet for me. Obviously Noble Deed has a big chance, but Fallon is much stronger than Rosie Napravnik which is in Shahdaroba's favour too. If Storm Moon lasted the six furlongs, then he could figure as he's 2-2 on the All Weather, and with the sand based nature of the soil, could outrun his price as well.

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Be lucky,
Will