Spencer excited to be back in Shergar Cup Almost a year since stunning the racing world by announcing his intention to retire from the saddle, Jamie Spencer is looking forward to taking part in his fourth Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot. A truly global jockey, having enjoyed Classic glory and big-race success at home and abroad, few saw it coming when during the Ebor Festival at York last August, Spencer revealed he would call it a day at the end of that season to take up an advisory role within his then retaining owner Sheikh Fahad's burgeoning racing and breeding operation. Aged just 34 at the time - a relative youngster by today's standards - the overwhelming feeling was the call was a touch hasty and four months later Spencer reversed his decision, undoubtedly in part due to the prospect of riding the Jamie Osborne-trained Toast Of New York in the Dubai World Cup after a heroic but ultimately heartbreaking defeat in November's Breeders' Cup Classic. Had he known at the time Toast Of New York would suffer a setback that would rule out a trip to Meydan and curtail his season, who knows whether Spencer would have had a change of heart? Either way, he is glad he did after enjoying an excellent campaign thus far. "The season is going OK. I'm getting on plenty of nice horses and I think I've ridden five Group-race winners - I always think if you ride 10 in a year you're having a good season," he said. "It was great to win the Goodwood Cup (on Big Orange) last week. He's a good, tough horse and I think he has what it takes to run well in a Melbourne Cup, so that's something to look forward to. "I'm going out to Germany on Sunday to ride Second Step in a Group One for Luca Cumani and the following weekend I'm going to Chicago. "It's that time of year when you get to travel around a bit more and that's something I always enjoy." Spencer has not ridden in the Shergar Cup since 2004, the year of his only success in the competition to date aboard the Andrew Balding-trained Desert Quest in the Shergar Cup challenge. While he acknowledges the concept is not universally admired, Spencer sees the afternoon as "a bit of fun" and he is looking forward to meeting up with an old friend in Australian jockey Kerrin McEvoy, who makes his Shergar Cup debut and captains the 'Rest of the World' team. Spencer said: "I'm looking forward to it and hopefully I'm getting on a few nice horses. "I've ridden in the Shergar Cup three times and had the winner for Andrew Balding. It's a bit of fun and I'm delighted Kerrin McEvoy is coming over as he's a good friend of mine. That's an added bonus for me personally. "I suppose for Ascot it does what it says on the tin. I know not everyone is positive about it, but it's a fun day and it always draws in the crowds."
