'I attempted to make Ryan laugh, and did so successfully' - Shergar Cup captain Saffie Osborne adds more milestones to superb season

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Saffie Osborne keeps finding new ways to improve on her outstanding season and she hit another high when captaining Team Great Britain and Ireland to victory in the Shergar Cup.

Helped by the machine that is Ryan Moore, who was making his first appearance in the competition in 20 years, Osborne’s side finished 19 points clear of Hong Kong (62), with Moore scoring 47 of their 81 points to take the Silver Saddle.

Osborne was far from just a bystander as she won the Shergar Cup Sprint on 2-1 joint-favourite Red Spells Danger for Tim Easterby.

“Luckily I got that winner,” she said, moments before soaking Moore in champagne. “I needed to pull my finger out as I hadn’t scored a point until then!

• WATCH: Saffie Osborne chases Ryan Moore around the Ascot paddock

“It’s been a really fun day and it’s great to come out on top. I’m loving this season so far, I’m having so much fun. You put a lot of hard work into all the everyday stuff and I’ve been very fortunate to ride lots of winners at the big meetings and it makes it all so much more enjoyable.”

Osborne’s win and Moore’s double on Asgard’s Captain and Archers Bay meant Team GB and Ireland had a nine-point lead over Hong Kong going into the closing Mile, which Norwegian rider Frida Valle-Skar landed with a runaway success on Crown Board to keep the points away from Hong Kong.

Moore picked up seven valuable points for third on Ozat, while Dylan Browne McMonagle’s three points for fifth did the business for the home side.

The Shergar Cup gave Valle-Skar the opportunity to ride at Ascot for the first time and she said: “It feels amazing, and it’s a dream come true having a winner at Ascot. He flew away when I asked him to.”

Frida Valle-Skar: "It's a dream come true"Credit: Getty Images

While Valle-Skar was covering new ground, Moore’s double in the Challenge and Classic took his career tally at the track to 178 winners and earned plaudits from the winning trainers.

Dylan Cunha, whose Asgard’s Captain improved on his fifth in last year's Challenge, said: “He got a really strong ride to the line this time. I was delighted when Ryan was booked for us, it makes a massive difference. 

"He’s ridden twice for me before in Dubai and he was first, second and now first again. Asgard’s going to Budapest next for the local Group 1 Kincsem Dij.”

Botti was equally pleased after Moore steered Archers Bay to a 5-2 success in the Classic, winning by three and a quarter lengths.

Ryan Moore: earned the plaudits of Marco Botti and Dylan CunhaCredit: Getty Images

“It’s always a bonus to have Ryan on, we were delighted when he got booked for the ride,” said Botti. “It was pretty smooth to watch. Ryan had him in a nice position and rhythm and I was actually quite impressed with the way he won so nicely.

“It was the first time over a mile and a half and carrying top weight. It was a good performance.”

The day had begun with an emphatic statement from Shergar Cup debutants Hong Kong, who won the first two races.

The Ollie Sangster-trained Tuco Salamanca was ridden by Jerry Chau to lead home team-mate Vincent Ho on Gold Star Hero in the Dash and the jockey said: “I can’t believe it. It was a lovely feeling out on the track.

“With the uphills and downhills it’s a very different experience to Hong Kong and I’m very happy to be riding with the very top jockeys.”

Those jockeys included Moore, who Chau said he used to play as in video games. “I kept following Ryan Moore,” he said.

Runners fight out the finish of the Shergar Cup Dash won by Tuco SalamancaCredit: Getty Images

Ian Williams is a strong supporter of the Shergar Cup and his backing paid off when Luke Ferraris rode Dancing In Paris to win the Stayers, a length in front of the Moore-ridden 11-10 favourite Shrimp Shady.

“There are some years when the races aren’t full. I don’t understand it. It’s just ridiculous,” said Williams. “That horse has just picked up over £40,000 – it’s a ten-runner handicap with good jockeys, why wouldn’t you support it?”

But ultimately, the day belonged to the home side, whose wealth of experience paid off and whose captain Osborne added another milestone to her wonderful season.

She also revealed she had another goal on the day. “I wasn’t a very strict leader,” she said. “I just attempted to make Ryan laugh, and did so successfully.”

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