Shergar Cup Tips: Marvellous one of six bets for Saturday's action at Ascot

All eyes veer to Ascot on Saturday afternoon for the Shergar Cup, and while the team event will attract some attention, here at HorseRacing.net we focus our attentions on the individual races, and our in-house tipster Steve Chambers goes through the card and picks out his best bet in each race...

12:50 Shergar Cup Dash

It's the sprinters that take centre stage in the opening race of the afternoon with the Shergar Cup Dash attracting a strong field of sprinters. Twice placed in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier in his career, the Clive Cox-trained Tis Marvellous ran a fine race when fourth in a competitive handicap last month at the Berkshire venue, and before that he was third on his last outing there. The seven-year-old may only have five wins from 34 races, and he will need to improve on his last performance at Ascot a couple of weeks ago, but having shown a love for the track, and with a quick gallop expected from the outset, Cox's raider can outclass his rivals off a mark of 102.

13:25 Shergar Cup Stayers

Dominic Ffrench-Davis has improved Call My Bluff significantly over the last 12 months and the progressive stayer can continue on an upward curve on Saturday by landing victory in the Shergar Cup Stayers at 13:25. Eye-catching wins at Nottingham and Chester in recent months has seen the four-year-old roar up the ratings, and while he will need to defy another 3lb hike in the weights following his Chester win in late June, Call My Bluff shaped like there's more to come and a mark of 83 is workable. Jane Chapple-Hyam's Uber Cool lines up on the back of a win and has to be a major player, but Call My Bluff may just have that little more improvement than his market rival, and can strike in race two.

14:00 Shergar Cup Challenge

Andrew Balding's yard has been in flying form over the last couple of weeks notching over 15 winners and they can venture into the winner's enclosure once again at Ascot, as Group One Power can bound to glory in the Shergar Cup Challenge at 14:00. The son of Lope De Vega kicked off this season with a fine win at Epsom on his seasonal reappearance, but since then has struggled to get his head in front again. However, he has been a real model of consistency not finishing out of the first three in each of his last four races, so if he can just find a little bit more then he can score here. His fourth behind the classy Hukum in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot last year is top notch form, and having shown a liking to Ascot he is the one to back in a trappy heat.

14:35 Shergar Cup Mile

It could prove to be an excellent day for Clive Cox, as he saddles the likely favourite in the Shergar Cup Mile in the shape of Dance Fever, who will have the burden of top weight to carry, but looks like he could be a cut above his rivals. Unable to play any sort of starring role when down the field in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on his seasonal reappearance, the son of Sir Prancealot then improved immeasurably when claiming a victory of a Leicester handicap in fine style. Returning to Ascot at the end of July for his third run of the season, Dance Fever was a fine third behind Danyah in the International Stakes, and his assignment at the weekend could prove to be easier than that was. He will step up from seven furlongs for this mile test, but that shouldn't pose any problems and he can duly hand Cox a second winner on the afternoon.

15:10 Shergar Cup Classic

Richard Fahey's Prison Break has snuck into the Shergar Cup Classic at the bottom of the handicap, and while the three-year-old will need to improve significantly from a recent win at Doncaster, the son of Muhaarar has the potential to bag a shock victory in what is an excellent renewal of this event. Having won at Redcar at the start of June off a mark of 62, Prison Break then failed to follow that up, but did run a brace of nice placed efforts at Haydock and Doncaster. It was then at the latter of those two tracks that saw him recapture the winning thread, and off a mark of 69 he won by two lengths. Given another 5lb rise by the handicapper it will make his job tougher, but that victory on Town Moor should bring confidence to the gelding, and the mile-and-a-half trip looks an ideal distance for him, and at double-figured odds he makes appeal.

15:45 Shergar Cup Sprint

We end the six-race card with a six-furlong sprint and yet again it's an extremely tough head-scratcher, but the one that makes the most appeal is the last-time-out winner Popmaster, who can claim the prize for Ed Walker. The grey was last seen comfortably claiming victory in a Doncaster handicap, and while he will need to defy a rise for that success at the Yorkshire venue, he shaped like there could be more to come. He performed with credit when finishing eighth in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Handicap at Royal Ascot two months ago, so a return to the track shouldn't post any problems and he can make it back-to-back wins by edging out the Clive Cox-trained Royal Scimitar.