ITV Racing Tips: Two for Asia & one for GB & IRE on Shergar Cup day

This Saturday’s ITV Racing broadcast features all six races from Ascot’s Shergar Cup meeting, in which jockeys from across the globe compete for the aforementioned silverware in teams representing Asia, Europe, Great Britain & Ireland and the Rest of the World.

Asia, replacing the Ladies team this year, are fancied to get at least two winners on the board, while GB&I are backed to land the mile courtesy of colt robbed of a tilt at Goodwood glory last week by the weather.

ITV Racing: Cheekpieces to eke more out of C&D scorer in the Sprint

Edward Smyth-Osborne’s UP WITH THE PACE did little wrong when coming up half a length short behind Leadman at Newmarket in his attempt to bring up a hat-trick last time out.

A scorer over the 6f Shergar Cup Sprint course and distance previously, the fact that he’s done more of his racing over 7f is a feather in his cap given the testing uphill nature of Ascot’s home straight.

Two Tribes was a further one-and-three-quarter lengths behind the selection at HQ. That rival is now rated 12lbs higher after landing the International Handicap at Ascot over 7f and the Steward’s Cup at Goodwood over 6f on his next two outings.

ITV Racing: Form of hat-trick hero suggests four-timer is on in the Classic

The Shergar Cup Classic (3.55) features two horses with plenty of ones by their names at the top of the betting in the shape of hat-trick seeker Tenability and TOPTEAM, who seeks a fourth win in succession.

While the former is likely to go off favourite and has a course and distance win to his name, preference is for the latter, who has seen both the third and fourth from his most recent victory score since.

Prior to that run the Andrew-Balding-trained selection had also lowered the colours of Marhaba Ghaiyath, who is now rated 18lbs higher after a win and two narrow seconds in his next three outings. Topteam is up just 9lbs since they faced off and should have enough improvement left to lower Tenability’s colours.

ITV Racing: Johnston inmate can make up for missing Golden Mile date

There’s plenty of linked form to dissect in the Shergar Cup Mile (4.30) with Urban Lion (fifth), Ebt’s Guard (seventh) and Talis Evolvere (11th) having clashed over course and distance in the Royal Hunt Cup.

However, it’s ARISAIG’s fifth place in the Newbury Spring Cup which Ebt’s Guard won by a neck from Urban Lion, with the reopposing Two Tempting fourth, that catches the eye most.

Charlie Johnston’s four-year-old gave the first two home weight on that occasion but carries the same burden as the duo this time. Next time out she finished second behind Classic giving that rival 10lbs and beating Hunt Cup fourth Greek Order into third.

Classic then underlined the strength of that form when going down by just a neck to the aforementioned Two Tribes in the International Handicap on his subsequent outing.

The selection was well fancied for the Golden Mile at Glorious Goodwood last week before being pulled out when the ground softened. She can get her reward a week on.

More on ITV racing, here.