ASCOT RACECOURSE NEWS - Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile - all the news & quotes
3.55pm Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile
Cove shines under super-cool Emma-Jayne Wilson
Canadian jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson produced a moment of magic as she pounced late on Jungle Cove (14/1) to win the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile.
Wilson, making her seventh appearance at the Shergar Cup, sat ice cold on the strong-travelling five-year-old before finally pushing the button entering the final furlong. Jungle Cove scorched home down the middle of the track to score by a length and a half from Redarna (20/1) under Neil Callan. Greatgadian (12/1) grabbed third for Australian rider Kerrin McEvoy.
Jungle Cove’s success means the Ladies (64pts) have closed the gap slightly on leaders Great Britain & Ireland (95pts). Callan’s second on Redarna pushes the 44-year-old back into the lead in the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle race on 35pts.
Wilson said: “It's lovely, fantastic. This one is for my kids! I love you. This horse has travelled and knows what he's doing. The boss [Jessica Harrington, trainer] just said ride him cold and come with a run. We straightened out and it was just a matter how much he was going to win by. I didn't even ask him until late and he just quickened away again.
“There's no feeling like riding a winner like him. If I could bottle it up and give it to people as a Christmas present, I would. This is what I'm passionate about, the horses, and when I get a feel like that, how can you not love the game? This is a fantastic sport and I hope it stays around for centuries.
“The way the first couple of races had gone, I was getting a little down. I have to admit, Hayley (Turner) picked me up in there. I needed a little love from my team captain; we stuck together and stayed focussed on the task ahead.
“The Shergar Cup is my kind of energy. The team event is a little different and it's a lot of fun.”
Jessica Harrington said: “Jungle Cove was the last horse to get in, and Emma-Jayne gave him a fabulous ride. She sat quiet on him all the way. She said to me that she knew he was going to win a furlong down. She had so much horse underneath her.
“This is the first time I have had a runner in the Shergar Cup and it is brilliant. It is thanks to Jason Morris who does the race planning at HRI. We had been talking about the Racing League, but he said to come here. I am all for team competitions and I am delighted that I could give a winner to the Ladies team!"
Neil Callan, who rode Redarna, said: “He ran well. He positioned up nicely and kept lengthening. The winner just out-dashed him at the end, but it was a good honest run.”
Kerrin McEvoy said of the third Greatgadian: “He ran great. He was able to get into a nice position and travelled well. I just had to wait for a run to appear as we turned for home, but he picked up well with a big weight on his back and stayed on nicely.”
Jungle Cove wins the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile (credit: Megan Ridgwell)
3.55pm Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile
1 Jungle Cove (LADIES) Jessica Harrington IRE 5-9-06 Emma-Jayne Wilson 14/1
2 Redarna (GB & IRE) Dianne Sayer 8-9-08 Neil Callan 20/1
3 Greatgadian (ROW) Roger Varian 4-10-01 Kerrin McEvoy 12/1
4 Montassib (GB & IRE) William Haggas 4-9-11 Danny Tudhope
5 Isla Kai (EUR) Nigel Tinkler 4-9-11 Frankie Dettori
Team standings after race 6:
GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND 95
LADIES 64
REST OF THE WORLD 49
EUROPE 44
Individual standings after race 6:
Neil Callan GBI 35
Kieran Shoemark GBI 29
Rene Piechulek EUR 23
Jamie Spencer GBI 22
Joanna Mason LADIES 22
Hayley Turner LADIES 18
Emma-Jayne Wilson LADIES 15
Jason Collett ROW 14
Takeshi Yokoyama ROW 13
Frankie Dettori EUR 13
Kerrin McEvoy ROW 12
Christophe Lemaire ROW 10
Nicola Currie LADIES 9
Daniel Tudhope GBI 9
Antonio Fresu EUR 4
José-Luis Martinez EUR 4