Gråberg captains Team Europe in Shergar Cup return

“I’m very proud to be captain,” says Gråberg. “It doesn’t give you any special advantage in the races themselves, but it’s a great honour to lead the team.”

The Shergar Cup is a unique fixture, pitting four international teams – Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, Asia, and The Rest of the World – against each other in six races, with each rider taking five mounts. It’s staged in memory of the legendary racehorse Shergar, winner of the 1981 Derby, who was kidnapped under mysterious circumstances and never found.

Gråberg knows what it’s like to win at Ascot – he made his Shergar Cup debut in 2018 and landed a victory aboard Cleonte. “Of course you need good horses to have a chance, but they work very hard to allocate them fairly so everyone has opportunities.”

This year, he will ride alongside Italy’s Dario Di Tocco – winner of the Derby Italiano – and French jockey Delphine Santiago.

Full weekend programme

Gråberg traveled to England on Thursday with his wife Cecilia and their eldest daughter Thea. Beyond race day, the Shergar Cup is a packed social and media occasion. “Thursday afternoon was the press conference. Friday is filled with activities before the racing begins on Saturday.”

The jockeys only learn their final rides on Friday, once the official handicappers have balanced the teams’ allocations. “As soon as I know my mounts, I start doing some detective work – watching old races, talking to contacts, and gathering as much information as I can before meeting the trainers.”

Riding in an international field brings a different challenge. “At home in Sweden, I know exactly how the other jockeys think during a race – and they know how I think. Here, you have to be more alert and ready to adapt. That’s what makes the Shergar Cup so exciting and so good for your riding.”