Punters turn to Ladies team in Shergar Cup with Joanna Mason ride well backed

Punters are hopeful Tides Of War can help deliver another victory in the Shergar Cup for the Ladies team after Joanna Mason's mount was backed into 17-2 (from 14) on Saturday morning. 

The David Simcock-trained gelding is one of three runners in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers (2.10) for the all-women team, who have triumphed for three of the last five years in the annual contest. 

• Watch: The Morning Post with Maddy Playle and Paul Kealy

Alongside the well-fancied Ladies team rides Spirit Mixer (6-1) and Ranch Hand (7-1), Tides Of War has received support in his bid to win under Mason, who was a last-minute call-up to replace Saffie Osborne this week. 

Mason has easily surpassed her best-ever season this term and is in flying form, having won on her last ride at Musselburgh on Friday. She enjoys four rides at Ascot on Saturday and will be looking to open the event with a bang on Desert Cop in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash (1.35), who has also shortened to 11-2 (from 7). 

The Ladies team are vying for Shergar Cup favouritism with Great Britain and Ireland, who have received market support of their own in the Stayers with Struth, a runner-up at the meeting last year who is now 17-2 (from 9) for team captain Tadhg O'Shea. 

Market movers

Ascot 
1.35 Holkham Bay 5-1 (from 7), Tides Of War 17-2 (from 14)
2.10 Struth 17-2 (from 9)
2.45 Dream Harder 9 (from 18)
3.20 Jarraaf 5-4 (from 7-4)
3.55 Soloman 5-4 (from 7-5), Whathappensinvegas 9-1 (from 12) 
4.30 Talis Evolvere 10 (from 14)

Haydock
2.25 Kilt 9-4 (from 7-2), Theme Park 9-2 (from 6) 
3.00 Mujtaba 15-2 (from 14)
3.35 Expected Arrival 6-1 (from 11)

Newmarket
3.05 Dragon Leader 4-1 (from 13-2)
3.40 Flaming Stone 11-2 (from 9)

Aidan O'Brien left to rely on Whistlejacket in Phoenix after Heavens Gate ruled out

Ballydoyle filly Heavens Gate has been ruled out of a bid for Group 1 glory after being taken out of the Phoenix Stakes (4.35) on Saturday morning. 

The daughter of Churchill received market support ahead of her run in the first juvenile Group 1 contest of the year, having been backed into 7-1 (from 15-2), but she was ruled out shortly before 10am after going off her feed. 

A winner of two of her five starts, Heavens Gate was a length behind Fairy Godmother at Royal Ascot before filling the same third-place spot in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket last month. 

She returned to the winner's enclosure at Naas on Monday following her triumph in the Ballyhane Stakes but her absence from today's €350,000 contest leaves Aidan O'Brien to rely on the odds-on Whistlejacket, who has shortened into a best price of 4-5. 

The chestnut brother to Little Big Bear, who won this race in 2022, seeks to add a third success to his name after scoring at the track in the Listed First Flier Stakes before an impressive win in the July Stakes. 

Whistlejacket now faces just four rivals, with the unbeaten Babouche the next best in the betting at 5-2. 

Whistlejacket: odds-on to claim Group 1 success under Ryan MooreCredit: Caroline Norris

Conditions expected to quicken at Ascot before Shergar Cup opener

The Shergar Cup is expected to start on good to firm ground with the track set to quicken before the start of the popular team contest. 

The annual event, in which 12 jockeys battle it out for glory in teams of four, will take place on a warm day at Ascot, where the going remained good, good to firm in places overnight but is likely to change before the opening sprint (1.35). 

The track has seen little rain over the last week, with most of the 6.6 millimetres falling on Tuesday, resulting in watering taking place on Friday morning on both the straight and round course. 

"We're currently good, good to firm in places but that may well change before racing to good to firm, good in places," said clerk of the course Chris Stickels at 8am. 

"We're expecting a generally dry and warm day. Although there's a very slight risk of a shower later, it would only be less than a millimetre in the afternoon at most, so we may have a going change by the first race." 

Shergar Cup: could be run on good to firm ground with a warm day forecast at AscotCredit: Alan Crowhurst

This year's contest will feature an even split between female and male jockeys for the first time, with the Australian-based Rachel King, South African Rachel Venniker and Japanese rider Nanako Fujita making up the Rest of the World team alongside the Ladies team of Hayley Turner, Marie Velon and Joanna Mason. 

Male jockeys make up the Europe team, consisting of captain Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, Jose-Luis Borrego and Alberto Sanna, as well as the Great Britain and Ireland team, which includes former Shergar Cup contenders Tadhg O'Shea and Seamie Heffernan, with the pair set to be joined by Billy Loughnane.

Alongside Ascot's six valuable races, ITV will also be showing action from Haydock, where conditions are good to firm, good in places ahead of the Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes (3.00). The field for the Group 3 contest was reduced to five due to the absence of regular top-level performer Lord North and the Richard Hughes-trained Bracken's Laugh. 

ITV will also air the JenningsBet Sweet Solera Stakes (3.40) at Newmarket, which is headed by Godolphin filly Mountain Breeze.

Non-runners

Ascot 
1.35 Apollo One (stiff) 

Haydock 
2.25 Twirling (going), Phoenix Passion (going), Golspie (knocked joint)
3.00 Lord North (not eaten up), Bracken's Laugh (not eaten up)
3.35 King's Scholar (going) 
6.25 Lowton (going), Persuasion (going)

Newmarket 
1.55 Fool Again (coughing), Gulya (blood analysis not normal), 10 Suhub (infection)
2.30 Ardeur (lame), Defence Missile (going)
4.15 Mercury Day (going)
4.50 The Thunderer (going)

Updated at 12.15pm

Read our Saturday previews:

Ascot: 'He ticks a lot of boxes and it looks like the perfect race' - key quotes for every Shergar Cup race at Ascot 

3.00 Haydock: 'He's got a good record at the track and I'm very happy' - key quotes and analysis for the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster 

3.40 Newmarket: Is the Sweet Solera a two-horse race between Ballydoyle and Godolphin juveniles? 

4.35 Curragh: Babouche could prove the value against Whistlejacket as big two face off in Phoenix Stakes 

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