why do i like the shergar cup yet dislike the racing league?

​The Racing League fails to deliver on its projections for the very basic reason its promoters chose to ignore – horse racing may be a team sport but at the heart of that team is not a product that can be bought in a showroom or store. The founding fathers of the Racing League foolishly beheld a dream that their invention could save the sport, that it held the potential to bring the racing audience back in droves to the racecourse. Bewitched by Formula 1, they preached a grandiose scheme that had Godolphin, Coolmore, Juddmonte and the leading flat trainers priming teams of horses for the challenge of winning the Racing League trophy. Except Godolphin, Coolmore, et al, recognised the flaw in the concept and have given it a wide berth.
Team Godolphin, Team Coolmore, Team Gosden, etc, have had to be replaced by Team Scotland, with few actual Scottish team members, Team this and Team that. Putting together teams for the series has been like the method kids use to make-up teams in the school playground. 
In Formula 1, Ferrari, Maclaren, Red Bull, etc, exist in real life. If you have the wealth required the man in the street can buy a Ferrari or Maclaren, they can drink Red Bull. The Racing League peddles the myth that somehow the racing fan can similarly be part of one of the spurious teams simply by wearing a scarf bearing the motif of one of the ‘teams’.
The Racing League cannot change the direction of horse racing for the simple reason that the two are not compatible. It is like suggesting a five-a-side football tournament can alter perceptions of the Champions League or even National League South. Can anyone remember who won the Racing League in its first year? Or the season after? Yes, Saffie won it last year. Beauty is always memorable. 
Owners and trainers support the Racing League for the enhanced, though not by much, prize money that can be won by horses of modest ability. Though why if ‘enhanced prize-money’ can be raised to support a poorly conceived concept, why can’t that same money be distributed to races throughout the summer? Let’s get real, owners and trainers do not support the Racing League because they believe the concept is a wonderful thing in itself, they are merely taking advantage of an opportunity. In fact, taken as a whole, I believe the Racing League is doing harm to the sport by shrinking competitiveness at other racecourses.
The Shergar Cup, though, makes no pretence that it exists for any other reason than to entertain. The teams are actually real, even if no enthusiast can buy a product the team represents. The concept of a ‘girls’ team’ is stamped in reality and allows for annual support. Wherever Hayley Turner, Holly Doyle and Saffie Osborne are riding today or during the coming week, if so inspired, you can go along to cheer them on, to ask for a selfie or autograph.
Look, I would change the format of the Shergar Cup so that along with the girls team, there would be a British male team, an Irish team and a World team. I realise there would be financial constraints on developing the format further but I think the concept is popular enough amongst the racing public to either include a fifth team or to expand the existing teams to four-members.
Also, what the Shergar Cup demonstrates year after year is that no matter how successful foreign jockeys are in their own countries, the home-grown jockeys, although it must be admitted they have home advantage, hold their own and usually go home with the trophies, as occurred again with the latest renewal. Personally, I would be happy to see other ‘team’ races staged throughout the season. Perhaps a series involving teams comprising British-born professional male riders, their female equivalent, apprentice equivalents and foreign British-based riders. Five teams, perhaps twelve races staged through the season, with teams of six-riders, with three of the six riding in each of the races, with a ‘final’ at the end of the season, with the intention of raising funds for the Injured Jockeys Fund.
Yesterday (12th August 2023) Holly Doyle won the trophy for leading rider at the Shergar Cup and between herself and Saffie Osborne (shouldn’t Ed Walker appoint her stable jockey before someone else nabs her services) won four of the six-races and yet again, although contributing not a single point to her team’s score, Hayley Turner was presented with the winning trophy and everyone present went home happy, no doubt looking forward to next year’s Shergar Cup.