'He looks a big price at 16-1 for the silver saddle' - David Jennings answers the burning questions before Saturday's big races

What's the big story?

The Shergar Cup. Grrrr. I'm not a team player when it comes to racing and believe it is one sport where team events don't work. But it's only once a year (well, seven times a year if you include the Racing League), so I shall grin and bear it.

That said, the international aspect adds plenty of intrigue with the likes of Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, Marie Velon, Rachel Venniker, Nanako Fujita, Jose-Luis Borrego and Rachel King all taking part. 

And, there are old pros like Seamie Heffernan and Tadhg O'Shea, as well as hotshot teenage sensation Billy Loughnane, so it should be an interesting watch at Ascot. 

The best race of the day is at the Curragh in the shape of the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (4.35). It's the first Group 1 juvenile race staged in Ireland this season and Whistlejacket battles with the unbeaten Babouche.

Who appeals most on the Shergar Cup card? 

Truthful in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge (2.45) at around 7-2. 

She was very lethargic through the early stages on her reappearance at Newmarket, but that would have blown away the cobwebs for this and, given she has produced an RPR of 100, her mark of 94 looks lenient back in a handicap under Ascot assassin Hayley Turner. 

She's tailormade for a filly like this and William Haggas won this event two years ago with Pride Of Priory. 

And who wins the Silver Saddle? 

Tadhg O'Shea looks a big price at 16-1. Struth in the Stayers (2.10), Cracksking in the Challenge (2.45) and Daring Legend in the Sprint (3.20) are all single-figure prices so the Dubai-based dynamo could be in have a big say in where the trophy ends up.

Babouche or Whistlejacket in the Phoenix Stakes? 

Surely the play is Babouche at the prices. She would have learned a lot from the Anglesey and 11-4 looks a bit too big given it appears a straight shootout between the pair. 

What's the bet of the day?

Quadruple in the closing contest at the Curragh, the mile handicap (5.40). 

She's a progressive filly who was a nose away from back-to-back wins, and her narrow defeat at Leopardstown has been franked by the third and fourth, who both ran well at Galway last week, the latter emphatically winning a maiden.

What's the lay of the day?

Electric Storm looks seriously short in the Group 3 FBD Hotels And Resorts Heritage Hotel Phoenix Sprint Stakes (3.25) at the Curragh. 

She might be an exposed sprinter but she's up against some speedy seasoned campaigners and there are dangers everywhere you look.

Give us one piece of punting advice for Saturday

Jason Watson is five from 19 at Haydock this season (26 per cent strike-rate) and he is showing a healthy £23.40 profit to £1 level stakes at the track too. 

Don't be surprised to see Mujtaba and Julia Augusta outrun their odds in the two feature races on the card, as both have some upside to them, while Indivar, Watson's mount in the second division of the 7f handicap (5.50), has been gelded since flopping as favourite at Doncaster last time. He could be well handicapped.

Read these next:

Harry Wilson found a 9-4 winner in his last column - find out his tips for all ten races live on ITV4 on Saturday   

'He ticks a lot of boxes and it looks like the perfect race' - key quotes for every Shergar Cup race at Ascot 

How does the Shergar Cup work? Everything you need to know ahead of Ascot's unique fixture 

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