Jamie Kah and Mark Zahra represent Australia in Shergar Cup at Ascot

Courtesy RaceNews and Ascot Racecourse

The Shergar Cup will be shown live on Sky 1 from 10pm AEST

Five international jockeys taking part in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot this Saturday, August 10, looked ahead to the team competition at a media event held at the Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, London, today (Thursday, August 8).

Jockeys Yuga Kawada (Japan), Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu (Hong Kong) and Mark Zahra (Australia), who form the Rest Of The World team, plus Jamie Kah (Australia) and Nanako Fujita (Japan), part of The Girls team, discussed the world's premier international jockeys' competition, which has four competing teams: Great Britain & Ireland, Europe, Rest Of The World and the 2018 winners, The Girls.

The six-race card, worth a boosted £360,000 in prize money, gets underway at 1.05pm (10.05pm AEST), with each Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup race having £60,000 in prize money.

Odds have been determined by Betfred, the official bookmaker at Ascot, with Great Britain & Ireland, and The Girls 9/4 joint favourites, while 3/1 is offered about both Europe and the Rest of the World.

Discussing her career and Saturday's team competition, in which she will appear on The Girls team alongside Hayley Turner and Japan's Nanako Fujita, Jamie Kah said: "I've ridden in something similar to the Shergar Cup in New Zealand, but I got allotted some slow horses, so hopefully I do better on Saturday!

"It's a very different experience riding in team competitions, because even if you can't win yourself, you are hopeful that your team-mates can.

"It would be very special to ride a winner at Ascot on Saturday and to win the event with the other girls would be a great thrill and is definitely something on my list.

The 2019 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup sees two jockeys participating from Japan. The racing powerhouse country enjoyed a tremendous victory at Glorious Goodwood last week when Deirdre captured the G1 Nassau Stakes and both jockeys are hoping that the run can continue at Ascot on Saturday.

Nanako Fujita, who celebrates her 22nd birthday tomorrow, has already broken records as an apprentice in Japan, where she has partnered 70 Japan Racing Association (JRA) winners.

She became winning-most female jockey of all-time in her home country just under a year ago and was the first female JRA rider to participate in a G1 race when fifth in the February Stakes at Tokyo earlier this year.

Fujita has also already enjoyed success on the international stage, having won the third edition of the Women Jockeys' World Cup at Bro Park in Sweden on June 30 this year.

On Saturday, she claims a 3lb allowance and is part of The Girls team alongside captain Hayley Turner, Britain's most-successful female jockey, and Jamie Kah from Australia.

The other Japanese jockey participating on Saturday is Yuga Kawada, who will captain the Rest Of The World team. The 33-year-old has ridden over 1,200 winners in Japan, including 12 at G1 level, and currently heads the 2019 JRA jockey standings.

Kawada is no stranger to riding in the UK, having had a spell with Newmarket trainer Roger Varian in the summer of 2018, when he partnered four winners from 30 rides.

Mark Zahra has picked a good time to be an Australian in England. With Justin Langer's men going 1-0 up in the five-test Ashes series earlier this week at Edgbaston, he and the rest of the Australian population are revelling in the possibility of a first Ashes series victory in England since 2001.

More immediately, the 37-year-old is relishing the opportunity to ride in Saturday's Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot for the first time.

Zahra is part of the Rest Of The World team along with Vincent Ho (Hong Kong) and Yuga Kawada (Japan - captain).

Looking ahead to Saturday, Zahra said: "It's going to be a big thrill to ride at Ascot on Saturday. I've never ridden in England before, let alone at Ascot so I'm really looking forward to getting on this Saturday. I've seen a fair bit of Ascot on TV and it's great to finally be here.

"I always watch Royal Ascot and it is a brilliant spectacle. I don't get to watch a lot of UK racing because of the time difference, but it will be great to ride at Ascot.

"It is a very special track and even for us Australians, our sprinters have done very well at the track in the past. Some of our best horses such as Black Caviar have come and made an even bigger name for themselves.

"I've got a little bit of time off and they invited me to come and ride over here. It fitted into my schedule and I'm delighted that I'm able to take part.

"I took two months off towards the end of the season and I'm feeling very refreshed now and can't wait to get started.

"I met my Rest of the World teammates for the first time this morning. Yuga has come out for the Melbourne Cup before, but both of them are top-class riders and hopefully if we can put it all together then we can have a real chance of winning on Saturday.

"Yuga is a great Japanese jockey and Vincent has held his own in Hong Kong for a good while now. He also has experience of riding in Britain which is another big help. Hopefully, if we put our heads together and work well as a team, then we might be able to get the money.

"I flew in this morning. I will probably have to go and lose a bit of weight tomorrow, look at my rides and then just walk the course. I fly back to Australia on Monday and will look to be riding again out there on Wednesday - it's a flying visit!"

Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu, who rides as C Y Ho in Hong Kong, has been in Britain for three weeks preparing for this year's Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and he has warmed up for the competition with three victories between July 29 and August 3 - two for Mark Johnston and one for Keith Dalgleish, all in Scotland.

The 29-year-old is enjoying a second stint with Johnston, Britain's winning-most trainer and has been riding out for the Yorkshire-based handler daily. He will represent the Rest Of The World team at Ascot on Saturday alongside Japan's Yuga Kawada and Australia's Mark Zahra.

FINAL FIELDS FOR SATURDAY'S SHERGAR CUP MEETING

1:05pm £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash 5f

1 (5) Danzeno Gerald Mosse EUR

2 (7) Caspian Prince (IRE) Yuga Kawada ROW

3 (12) Final Venture Jamie Kah GIRLS

4 (11) Corinthia Knight (IRE) Adrie de Vries EUR

5 (4) Recon Mission (IRE) Tadhg O'Shea GBI

6 (3) Encore d'Or Danny Tudhope GBI

7 (2) Foolaad Nanako Fujita (3) GIRLS

8 (8) Lancelot du Lac (ITY) Hayley Turner GIRLS

9 (6) Street Parade Vincent Y. Ho ROW

10 (1) Stone of Destiny Filip Minarik EUR

R11 (9) Green Power

R12 (10) Tropics (USA)

Betfred odds: 3/1 Danzeno, 13/2 Corinthia Knight, Final Venture 7/1 Caspian Prince, Green Power (RES 1) 8/1 Foolaad, Recon Mission, Stone Of Destiny 10/1 Lancelot Du Lac, Tropics (RES 2) 11/1 Encore D'Or 14/1 Street Parade

1:40pm £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers 1m 7f 209y

1 (5) Aircraft Carrier (IRE) Tadhg O'Shea GBI

2 (8) What A Welcome Filip Minarik EUR

3 (2) Time To Study (FR) Gerald Mosse EUR

4 (10) Alfredo (IRE) Jamie Spencer GBI

5 (1) Lorelina Jamie Kah GIRLS

6 (11) Billy Ray Danny Tudhope GBI

7 (6) Eddystone Rock (IRE) Hayley Turner GIRLS

8 (7) Theglasgowwarrior Mark Zahra ROW

9 (4) Grandee (IRE) Yuga Kawada ROW

10 (3) Blue Laureate Nanako Fujita (3) GIRLS

R11 (12) Al Kout

R12 (9) Diocletian (IRE)

Betfred odds: 4/1 Billy Ray, 6/1 Blue Laureate, What A Welcome, 7/1 Lorelina, Time To Study, Diocletian (RES 2) 8/1 Eddystone Rock, Grandee, Theglasgowwarrior, 14/1 Aircraft Carrier, Alfredo, Al Kout (RES 1)

2:15pm £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge 1m 3f 211y

1 (2) Reshoun (FR) Jamie Spencer GBI

2 (4) Restorer Adrie de Vries EUR

3 (10) Indianapolis (IRE) Mark Zahra ROW

4 (3) Melting Dew Hayley Turner GIRLS

5 (9) Koeman Nanako Fujita (3) GIRLS

6 (5) Big Kitten (USA) Yuga Kawada ROW

7 (12) Badenscoth Danny Tudhope GBI

8 (7) Temple Church (IRE) Tadhg O'Shea GBI

9 (6) Genetics (FR) Vincent C. Y. Ho ROW

10 (11) Mandarin (GER) Filip Minarik EUR

R11 (8) Hyanna

R12 (1) Breath Caught

Betfred odds: 4/1 Mandarin, 5/1 Big Kitten, 13/2 Indianapolis, Melting Dew, 8/1 Reshoun, Temple Church, Hyanna (RES 1), Breath Caught (RES 2), 9/1 Genetics, 10/1 Koeman 11/1 Badenscoth 12/1 Restorer

2:50pm £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile 7f 213y

1 (1) Another Batt (IRE) Jamie Kah GIRLS

2 (7) Breden (IRE) Mark Zahra ROW

3 (3) Zwayyan Yuga Kawada ROW

4 (10) Original Choice (IRE) Adrie de Vries EUR

5 (5) Waarif (IRE) Nanako Fujita (3) GIRLS

6 (11) Zhui Feng (IRE) Gerald Mosse EUR

7 (8) Nicholas Jamie Spencer GBI

8 (4) War Glory (IRE) Filip Minarik EUR

9 (6) Via Serendipity Tadhg O'Shea GBI

10 (2) Power of Darkness Vincent C. Y. Ho ROW

R11 (12) Nicklaus

R12 (9) Enigmatic (IRE)

Betfred odds: 7/2 Power Of Darkness, 5/1 Via Serendipity, 13/2 Another Batt, 7/1 Zwayyan, 8/1 Waarif, 9/1 Original Choice, 10/1 Breden, Nicholas T, War Glory, Nicklaus (RES 1), 11/1 Zhui Feng, 14/1 Enigmatic (RES 2)

3:25pm £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic 1m 3f 211y

1 (3) Boerhan Danny Tudhope GBI

2 (10) Vivid Diamond (IRE) Tadhg O'Shea GBI

3 (7) Never Do Nothing (IRE) Mark Zahra ROW

4 (8) Aspire Tower (IRE) Vincent C. Y. Ho ROW

5 (9) Sapa Inca (IRE) Hayley Turner GIRLS

6 (11) Asian Angel (IRE) Jamie Spencer GBI

7 (6) Rowland Ward Nanako Fujita (3) GIRLS

8 (5) Sophosc (IRE) Adrie de Vries EUR

9 (4) Yellow Tiger (FR) Jamie Kah GIRLS

10 (1) Amber Spark (IRE) Gerald Mosse EUR

R11 (12) Zuba

R12 (2) Grey d'Ars (FR)

Betfred odds: 4/1 Vivid Diamond, 5/1 Never Do Nothing, Rowland Ward, Sapa Inca, 9/1 Boerhan, Zuba (RES 1) 10/1 Asian Angel, Sophosc, 12/1 Aspire Tower, Yellow Tiger 14/1 Amber Spark, Grey D'Ars (RES 2)

4:00pm £60,000 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint 6f

1 (7) The Cruising Lord Filip Minarik EUR

2 (8) Barbill (IRE) Mark Zahra ROW

3 (4) Junius Brutus (FR) Jamie Kah GIRLS

4 (5) Magical Wish (IRE) Vincent C. Y. Ho ROW

5 (12) Victory Day (IRE) Jamie Spencer GBI

6 (2) Pass The Vino (IRE) Hayley Turner GIRLS

7 (1) Kinks Adrie de Vries EUR

8 (11) Jack's Point Gerald Mosse EUR

9 (3) Hero Hero (IRE) Danny Tudhope GBI

10 (10) Woven Kawada Yuga Kawada ROW

R11 (6) Yousini

R12 (9) Buckingham (IRE)