CHADWICK CLINCHES SILVER SADDLE AS REST OF THE WORLD TEAM WINS SHERGAR CUP

By Hong Kong Jockey Club | Sunday, August 12, 2012

Hong Kong stood proudly on the winner's rostrum at the Shergar Cup on Saturday in the form of rising star Matthew Chadwick whose personal effort to ride three seconds and a winner enabled the Rest of the World team to clinch the trophy for both team and top rider at the sun-baked Ascot Racecourse.

Chadwick is the first home grown talent invited to compete against other world class jockeys in the Shergar Cup. He adapted beautifully to the Ascot straight and round courses in an inspired performance which led team mates Aaron Gryder and captain Yutaka Take to an 89-point winning total.

Club Jockey Andreas Suborics – representing the Europe team - also landed a winner aboard Address Unknown in the Shergar Cup Stayers.

This result represented more good news for the Hong Kong Jockey Club Apprentice Jockeys’ School.

Apprentice jockey Alvin Ng won the Asian Young Guns Challenge the previous Saturday in Macau, seven days before the 22-year-old graduate Chadwick put his name in the victor list of the Silver Saddle trophy of Shergar Cup, which included top-class riders such as Ryan Moore, Gerald Mosse, Kieren Fallon and Richard Hughes.

These encouraging results again highlighted the Club’s effort and investment in the training and development of young riders.

Chadwick was beaten by short margins on Trade Storm (16-1), Woolfall Treasure (16-1) and Taajub (7-1), his first three rides in the meeting, before pouncing on Mince who took the concluding Shergar Cup Sprint by half a length at 6-1.

With 45 points in total, he was crowned the top performing jockey in this year’s Shergar Cup.

A wide grin occupied Chadwick's face as he collected the Silver Saddle for top rider at the meeting and he observed, “I'm delighted to win the Silver Saddle … it's a once-in-a-lifetime moment. And it was great to get a winner after the three near-misses.

“Trade Storm was beaten just a neck in the Shergar Cup Mile and gave me a great ride, while Woolfall Treasure finished his race very strongly to go down by only half a length in the Shergar Cup Stayers.

"In Taajub's race it could have gone either way … there were three horses separated by just a short-head and a neck and we were second.

“But on Mince I was always very confident. She jumped out and travelled nicely and with two furlongs to travel I knew I wasn't going to be beaten.

"All in all it was a good first start and I'm very grateful for the opportunity. I'm really enjoying my time in England and I would love to come back if I got invited,” said Chadwick.

Indeed, Mince is considered a potential Listed-class filly by her trainer Roger Charlton, who said she was a revelation today and Matthew gave her a great ride. She won and did in course record time.

When the UK bookies formed markets on the outcome of the Shergar Cup, 2008/2009 Hong Kong champion apprentice was the 14-1 outsider of the field but he showed versatility beyond his age of 22 to inspire the Rest of the World team to victory.

Chadwick has been riding out for Lambourn trainer Charles Hills and ridden winners at both Folkestone and Ffos Las.

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