Hong Kong’s super squad will face a stern task in the Shergar Cup at Ascot on Saturday, with the likes of Jamie Melham, Suraj Narredu and Christophe Lemaire all relishing the chance to represent their regions.
A four-team competition that involves jockeys competing for Great Britain and Ireland, Europe, Rest of the World and Hong Kong, the cup has brought together the world’s best for this year’s edition.
Many of those have ridden in Hong Kong, including top Australia jockey Melham, who won one of the city’s most prestigious races in 2023, the Classic Mile, aboard one of the greats in Voyage Bubble.
Melham is yet to ride a winner at Ascot and is keen to tick that off her bucket list, with an agonising nose defeat on her last visit to the Shergar Cup in 2019 being her closest go so far.
“It’s been seven years since I was last here and a lot has happened since. Most jockeys are like me and want to tick things off the bucket list, and I haven’t ridden a winner here yet,” Melham said. “Fingers crossed I can do something I haven’t done and ride a winner in Britain.”
Melham enjoyed a sparkling 2025, winning the Melbourne Cup on Half Yours, and has continued that momentum into 2026, with stand-out wins aboard the likes of up and coming star Sheza Alibi.
The top jockey has relished being a role model for a new generation of female jockeys, with Hong Kong’s new apprentice Nichola Yuen Hang-yiu crediting her as an inspiration, and she hopes to return to the city at some stage in the future.
“I haven’t ridden in Hong Kong on a contract since 2023 and I absolutely loved riding there. I would love to go back and do a small contract, because it’s just hard with the timings in Australia,” Melham said. “It’s been great to see Ethan Brown ride so well and I’d love to do a three-month contract.
“That’s why we do it [inspiring the new generation] – if we can encourage just one person to get into the industry then that’s amazing. I’m really passionate about getting the younger generation into the game.
“I’ve had girls hanging over the rails at Flemington and start crying, saying ‘we love you and we want to be a jockey just like you’, and it’s just things like that, that make it very rewarding.”
Another jockey who has inspired is India’s Suraj Narredu, who was part of last year’s Team Asia at the Shergar Cup, with his win aboard Fireblade helping them beat Europe by a single point.
He will compete for the Rest of the World this year and will be a fan favourite after his antics last year, which saw him recreate Frankie Dettori’s famous flying dismount after his maiden Ascot win.
“I still get goosebumps thinking about last year. India is a very patriotic country and it was very special to have a winner here,” Narredu said. “I had the tricolour flag on my back and I got very teary-eyed when I came in.
“It felt like a dream coming true, but even more than that, if there is such a thing. I haven’t done the dismount since last year but if I win again I’ll have to try again.”
In terms of raw numbers, you would be hard-pressed to split Ryan Moore and Christophe Lemaire as the pinnacle jockeys attending, with both having claims to being the world’s best rider.
Moore will be competing at the Shergar Cup for the first time in 20 years, while Lemaire, who is based in Japan, makes another appearance after taking part in 2022.
He will captain Europe and be riding alongside top female jockeys Marie Velon and Frida Valle-skar.
“It will be a challenging event for me and my team to win the title, especially against the local jockeys, but we’ll do our best,” Lemaire said.
“This time I will compete with two very good female jockeys, who both have a lot of experience around the world and they are top riders, so I have no fears about adapting to the track and their rides. We’ll do our best.”
Shergar Cup 2026 teams
Hong Kong: Vincent Ho Chak-yiu (c), Jerry Chau Chun-lok, Luke Ferraris.
Great Britain and Ireland: Saffie Osborne (c), Ryan Moore, Dylan Browne McMonagle.
Europe: Christophe Lemaire (c), Marie Velon, Frida Valle-Skar.
Rest of the World: Jamie Melham (c), Suraj Nerradu, Yutaka Take.
How it works
There will be six races across the event, with each team having two or three horses per race. To score points, the horses must finish in the top five, with 15 for first, 10 for second, 7 for third, 5 for fourth, and 3 for fifth.
