Female jockey trio triumphs at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup

Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman Colm McLoughlin, President George Horan, Senior Vice President Communications Salah Tahlak and Vice President Marketing Sinead El Sibai with ‘The Girls’ team, winner of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup 2015

UAE. The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup took place on 8 August at Ascot, with a female trio of riders capturing the leading international jockeys’ challenge. 

The points-based competition brings together 12 top riders, male and female, from the world’s top racing nations. They represent four teams: Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, Rest of the World and ‘The Girls’ [Ascot’s term, not ours -Ed].

The latter, whose team included captain Emma-Jayne Wilson, Hayley Turner and Sammy Jo Bell, achieved victory by 13 points from Jamie Spencer’s Great Britain & Ireland team.

Rest of the World, captained by Australian Kerrin McEvoy, finished in third place with last year’s winner Team Europe trailing in last on 27 points.

Left-right: At Ascot for the Dubai Duty Free-sponsored day were pop star Rick Astley, Sinead El Sibai, Baria Alamuddin and Salah Tahlak
Colm McLoughlin and Salah Tahlak with British boyband Blue

Emma-Jayne Wilson was presented with the Dubai Duty Free “˜Ride of the Day’ award for her short head victory aboard Missed Call in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge.

A post-race pop concert took place which included performances from Lulu, Rick Astley and boyband Blue.

The inaugural Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Golf Challenge took place the day before the races in which each of 48 players represented one of the four Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup teams. Attendees included recently retired jockey Richard Hughes and former top jockeys Joe Mercer and Mick Fitzgerald.

Salah Tahlak, Garry Maxwell of Premier Portfolio and Martin Moodie at Ascot racecourse (below)

Trophy presentations were made to Robert Yorke-Goldney who claimed leading scorer of the day and Lisa Cowap who led the winning team representing The Girls.

Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman Colm McLoughlin said: “The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup continues to grow in popularity and has become for many people the sporting and social highlight of the summer season.  We are delighted to lend our support to the event and to be a part of its evolution.

“Victory for the The Girls team today marked a significant achievement which I do not believe has been emulated in a horse racing event anywhere in the world and we congratulate Emma-Jayne, Sammy Jo and Hayley on their success.”

The winners of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Golf Challenge celebrate
Colm McLoughlin with the competing racing teams
Martin Moodie and Colm McLoughlin at race day in Ascot
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