DOUBLES from Hollie Doyle and Saffie Osborne ensured that the Ladies team were successful in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.

Doyle scored on The Very Man (Jessie Harrington) in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers and Regal Empire (James Tate) in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic, and in all scored 48 points, seeing her presented with the coveted Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle for the competition’s leading rider.

Doyle said: “I haven’t won the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle before, so it’s great to have that on my CV. I got to ride in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup first when I was an apprentice, and it let me showcase myself on a wider stage internationally.

“I think it is important in that regard. It’s a very good meeting and Ascot do a great job.”

Shergar Cup newcomer Osborne took the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge on Scampi (Andrew Balding) and ensured victory for the Ladies with a winning ride aboard Dark Trooper (Ed Walker) in the concluding Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint.

Team captain Hayley Turner has become synonymous with the Shergar Cup and was the third member of the team but endured a fruitless afternoon.

She said: “This has been the best Ladies team we have ever had – I did not get any points at all, and they carried me. It has been great fun and I hope I can do this for many years.”

The day started well for the Rest Of The World, with Kazuo Yokoyama making his Ascot debut a winning one on Rogue Lightning (Tom Clover) in the opening Dubai Duty Free Shergar Dash, with Matthew Chadwick and Joao Moreira also scoring heavily for the runners-up.

Thore Hammer Hansen (a late replacement for the absent Bauyrzhan Murzabayev) rode Perotto (Roger Varian) to land the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile for a European team which ended on 54 points, well ahead of Great Britain and Ireland who finished a rather miserable last with a tally of just 35 points. Andrew Balding took home £12,500 for his yard as the leading trainer on the day.

Haydock Saturday

AL Aasy (William Haggas/Jim Crowley) has been called a few names and returned to acion this year with a poor effort in Newmarket’s Fred Archer Stakes, but he has defied his critics by winning both subsequent starts, most recently at Haydock on Saturday when snatching victory in the final strides in the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes.

The 6/5 favourite typically travelled well and Crowley was keen to keep him under wraps even after Midnight Mile kicked for home with two furlongs left.

The filly was claimed by El Drama over a furlong out, at which point Al Aasy was asked for maximum effort. El Drama (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) found extra when challenged, so the winner merits extra praise for knuckling down to win by a neck, belying his reputation as a ‘bridle merchant’.

Midnight Mile (Richard Fahey/Oisin Orr) seemed to find her stamina stretched under a more aggressive ride than at York on her previous start, weakening in the final 100 yards to be beaten a total of three lengths into third.

“Next steps are for William to work out,” said Maureen Haggas. “He’s won Group 3 races before and he’s been competitive at Group 1 level, and although he’s old, he’s a bit like Hamish in that he hasn’t got many miles on the clock.

“If you look after these horses they’ll keep going and if they’re enjoying it, they’ll keep going because they haven’t been over-worked.

Newmarket Saturday

FALLEN Angel (Karl Burke/Danny Tudhope) looks a filly on an upward trajectory, as she showed when winning the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

The daughter of Too Darn Hot was beaten narrowly in the Listed Star Stakes at Sandown having made a winning debut at Haydock, and she was meeting Sandown third on the same terms having beaten her a length in a race won by the exciting Shuwari.

Sent off the 9/4 favourite to confirm Star Stakes form, Fallen Angel did not disappoint, quickening well when asked to challenge the prominently ridden Soprano (George Boughey/K Shoemark) and increasing her margin over that filly from a length to three lengths with an impressive turn of foot. Outsider Les Bleus (Richard Hughes/Finley Marsh) stayed on late to grab third, albeit 4 and three-quarter lengths behind the winner.

Further the better

“This filly stays this trip well,” said the winning rider. “She wants a mile now and she may even get 10 furlongs in time. The further she went today the better – she powered clear up the hill.

“She’s just a classy filly who goes on all types of ground and she’s got a great mind on her. She tries, she’s game, she’s just a very likeable filly. I’m sure she’ll have all the right entries. I don’t know where she’ll go next, but the future is very bright.”

Sovereign Stakes

The Group 3 Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury on Thursday proved a thriller, with 10/11 favourite Embesto (Roger Varian/David Egan) getting up in the final stride to share the spoils with 3/1 market rival Mighty Ulysses (John and Thady Gosden/Oisin Murphy), after the runner-up had looked the winner throughout the final furlong. Embesto was beaten by Nostrum in the Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket on his previous start and was paying a compliment to that horse – who suffered a shock reverse at Goodwood – by gaining a first win in pattern company here.