Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Jamie Melham has been named as one of the team captains for this year's Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot. The 30-year-old, who won the Melbourne Cup in November 2024 aboard Half Yours, will lead the Rest of the World team at the August 8 event.
Melham, who previously rode at the Shergar Cup in 2019 under her maiden name Jamie Kah, is a trailblazer in Australian racing with 1,359 winners, including 19 at Group 1 level. She expressed her excitement at returning to Ascot and captaining the Rest of the World team.
The 25th edition of the team event will feature a new Hong Kong Jockey Club team, replacing the Asia team, and will be part of the World Pool programme for the first time. Vincent Ho will captain the Hong Kong side, while Indian champion Suraj Narredu, who led the Asia team to victory in 2024, will also return.
Ascot's Director of Racing Nick Smith welcomed the involvement of World Pool and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, noting the event's evolution. Andrew Harding of the Hong Kong Jockey Club expressed excitement about having a dedicated team and highlighted Ho's world-class credentials.
