Declining equine population and inflated race program causing insufficient participants for the Shergar Cup Classic, according to Ascot's lead executive.
2022 Shergar Cup Fails to Attract Full Field Despite Lucrative Prizes and Team-Based Format
The 2022 Shergar Cup, held at Ascot Racecourse, failed to attract a full field of ten horses for the featured race, the Shergar Cup Classic (3.55). This comes despite the race being open to horses rated up to 95 and offering a prize money of £80,000.
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced earlier this year that they would be investing more than £5 million into British prize-money, aiming to reverse the declining trend of racehorse numbers. However, the issue seems to persist, with the Shergar Cup being affected.
The reasons for the low entries are multifaceted. The event, which emphasizes mid-tier class horses, may not be attractive for trainers to enter their better horses. Additionally, conflicting dates with other racing events such as the Racing League have diluted interest and entries for Ascot's Shergar Cup.
Ascot believes the declining horse population has impacted this year's unique team-based competition, the Shergar Cup. The event, which consists of four teams representing Europe, Asia, Rest of the World, and Great Britain and Ireland, offers no owner entry fees for all contests.
Despite the challenges, the event attracted riders making their British debuts and full fields of ten were declared for the other five races. The Shergar Cup Stayers (2.10) has no reserves, while the Challenge (2.45) has one reserve.
If a horse is a non-runner in the Challenge or the Stayers, four points are awarded to the missing team and jockey. Points are awarded to the first five finishers in each race, with the winning team receiving a trophy and a cash prize.
The organizers expressed their gratitude towards the event participants, particularly the owners, who allow riders to wear team colors during the event. Information on free bets for the 2025 Shergar Cup can be found on the Racing Post website.
Looking ahead, the BHA aims to have more centralized authority, focusing on making prime-time races more competitive and betting-friendly. They hope that by addressing these issues, more horses will be declared in future years, ensuring the continued success and prestige of events like the Shergar Cup.
The competitive horse-racing event, the Shergar Cup, failed to fill the Shergar Cup Classic, despite offering a lucrative prize of £80,000. Despite the British Horseracing Authority's efforts to boost horse-racing numbers, the Shergar Cup was affected by low entries and conflicting dates with other sports events.
