Ascot Racecourse will stage the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday, 8 August 2026, with six team-based handicaps forming a £525,000 programme.Racing will begin at 1:35pm and conclude at 4:30pm, with contests ranging from five furlongs to nearly two miles. All six races will contribute points towards the overall Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup standings.
The meeting will bring together jockeys representing Great Britain & Ireland, Europe, the Rest of the World and the newly introduced Hong Kong Jockey Club team. The 2026 edition will also form part of World Pool for the first time.
Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash – 1:35pm
The afternoon will begin with the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash at 1:35pm.
The £85,000 Class 2 Handicap will be contested over five furlongs and will be open to horses aged three and older, rated between 86 and 105.
As the shortest race on the programme, the Dash will place an emphasis on early speed and tactical positioning.
Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers – 2:10pm
The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers will follow at 2:10pm.
The £85,000 Class 2 Handicap will be run over one mile, seven furlongs and 209 yards. It will be open to horses aged four and older, rated from 81 to 100.
The extended distance will provide the principal stamina test of Shergar Cup Day.
Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge – 2:45pm
The third contest will be the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge at 2:45pm.
Worth £85,000, the Class 2 Handicap will cover one mile, three furlongs and 211 yards. It will be open to horses aged four and older with ratings between 81 and 100.
Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint – 3:20pm
The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint will be staged at 3:20pm.
The six-furlong Class 2 Handicap will carry prize money of £85,000 and will be open to horses aged three and older, rated between 81 and 100.
It will be the second of the afternoon’s two sprint contests following the opening five-furlong Dash.
Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic – 3:55pm
The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic will follow at 3:55pm.
The £85,000 Class 3 Handicap will be run over one mile, three furlongs and 211 yards. Restricted to three-year-olds, the race will be open to horses rated between 76 and 95.
It will be the only race on the card restricted exclusively to three-year-olds.
Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile – 4:30pm
The programme will conclude with the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile at 4:30pm.
The £100,000 Class 2 Handicap will be contested over seven furlongs and 213 yards. It will be open to horses aged four and older, rated from 86 to 105.
Carrying the highest prize fund on the card, the Mile could also prove decisive in determining the final team standings.
Four Teams to Contest the 2026 Shergar Cup
The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup is a team competition in which jockeys earn points according to their finishing positions across the six races.The four teams for the 2026 competition are Great Britain & Ireland, Europe, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Rest of the World.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club team replaces the Asia team that competed in the previous edition.
Each race will be limited to a maximum of 10 runners, with two or three jockeys representing each team, depending on the final declarations and field sizes.
Points will be awarded to the first five finishers on a 15-10-7-5-3 basis. The team collecting the highest total across the six contests will lift the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.
With sprint, middle-distance and staying races included, the programme will test the adaptability of the participating jockeys. Every finishing position could influence the final result of the team competition.
Shergar Cup to Become a World Pool Fixture
The 2026 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup will also be included in World Pool for the first time.The development adds another international element to a meeting already built around jockeys representing different racing regions.The six-race card will be followed by the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Concert, completing Ascot’s combined racing and entertainment programme.Ascot Shergar Cup Day 8 August will feature six races, four international teams and £525,000 in total prize money, with racing scheduled from 1:35pm to 4:30pm.
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