Saffie Osborne once again showed her liking for team events by captaining the Great Britain and Ireland team to Shergar Cup glory at Ascot.
Osborne, who was leading rider three times in the Racing League, was selected to lead her trio with the legendary Ryan Moore and the current Irish champion Dylan Browne McMonagle alongside her.
She more than played her part, though, guiding Tim Easterby’s Red Spells Danger (2-1 favourite) to a flawless success in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint.
“I was not enjoying today very much until then, as I had not scored a point,” said Osborne after the fourth race of six. “It is a great day, and it is really great to have so many people here to watch it. It showcases how fun this sport is.
“The win for me today is that I’ve made Ryan laugh a couple of times, so I am quite happy with that!”
Great Britain and Ireland went on to finish on 81 points with Team Hong Kong and Team Europe both picking up 62. The Rest of the World earned 39.
Speaking after picking up the Shergar Cup and attempting to spray Moore with champagne, she said: “Ryan made a rather quick exit as he knew what was coming with all the champagne but I had to do it!
“It’s been really good fun today, it’s a brilliant day to get new people involved in the sport and showcase what fun this industry is.
“It’s brilliant for a younger audience to be able to pick a team and follow them and to have such world-class jockeys here has been brilliant.
“It’s special for me. I’ve been very lucky to have ridden in plenty of different places around the world and I feel very lucky every day to share the weighing room with world-class jockeys. Today allows me to share it with more of them.”
Moore won the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge on Dylan Cunha’s Asgard’s Captain (13-2) and he would go on to land the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic on Archers Bay (5-2) for Marco Botti.
It was Team Hong Kong who made the early running, finishing first and second in the first race and winning the second.
Jerry Chau gave them the perfect start when partnering Tuco Salamanca to a clear-cut victory in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash.
Representing a team making its Shergar Cup debut, Chau, 26, gave Ollie Sangster’s four-year-old the perfect ride, taking a lead into the final furlong before a gap opened up seamlessly.
Tuco Salamanca (4-1) quickened impressively to beat Gold Star Hero, ridden by Chau’s team-mate Vincent Ho by a length and a half.
Chau said: “It felt amazing, when I hit the line.
“No words can describe riding a winner at Ascot, I grew up watching Ryan Moore on You Tube. I watched him as much as I could.”
Luke Ferraris did not have to wait long to play his part for Team Hong Kong as he drove home Dancing In Paris to win the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers.
Ferraris said: “That’s phenomenal, he’s a lot fitter than me! He was turned out in great order.
“He didn’t settle as good as he should have but he still produced a great turn of foot.
“I think I’ve only ridden in one two-mile race in recent years so it was a bit of a change!”
The closing Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile went the way of Frida Valle Skar on Crown Board (10-1) for Team Europe.