Mark Zahra rose to the occasion to help the Rest of the World team to win Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, collecting the ‘ride of the day’ trophy for his efforts.
Zahra guided the James Given-trained Indianapolis to victory in the Shergar Cup Challenge, the third of six races on the card at Ascot. Indianapolis settled in the second half of the field before coming a well-timed run to score by a half-length.
Zahra’s Rest of the World team, which also comprised of captain Yuga Kawada and Vincent Ho, finished on 86 points ahead of joint runners-up Europe and The Girls on 63 points.
However both Zahra and his Australian counterpart Jamie Kah received two-day suspensions for breaking whip rules.Zahra’s day was soured by suspension, receiving a two-day sanction for his winning ride on Indianapolis for using his whip “in the incorrect place, inside the final furlong” according to stewards.
Kah also received a two-day sanction by stewards from the opening race, the Shergar Cup Dash, when almost leading throughout aboard Final Venture.
Final Venture was runner-up, beaten by a nose, in a thrilling three-way photo where Kah accidentally struck the third-placed Danzeno with her whip. Stewards suspended Kah for using her whip above the permitted level from the 250-metre mark.
1st Power of Darkness (T: M P Tregoning J: Vincent C Y Ho), 2nd Zhui Feng (T: Mrs A J Perrett J: G Mosse), 3rd Zwayyan (T: A M Balding J: Yuga Kawada), 4th Nicholas T (T: J S Goldie J: J P Spencer), 5th Via Serendipity (T: S C Williams J: T P O'Shea), 6th Breden (T: Mrs L C Jewell J: M Zahra)