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Ayr Racecourse News |
Bet Victor Raceday at Ayr Racecourse
31/01/12
Ayr Racecourse stages its fourth meeting of the New Year on Monday 6th February with the BetVictor Raceday featuring seven races.
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The most valuable heat of the afternoon is The Watch Live Racing At BetVicor.com Novices’ Handicap Chase over 3 miles 1 furlong with £8700 in prize money.
The racing gets underway at 1.30 pm with the BetVictor.com Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle over 2 miles and gates open at 11.30 am.
Meanwhile Ayr’s Winter Warmer Raceday on Monday provided a huge shock when 1-6 on chance Yes Tom was beaten 35 lengths by Railway Dillon (9/2) in the two horse Best Odds At BetVictor,com Novices’ Chase. Paddy Brennan’s mount was never going well and Jason Maguire’s mount gained a bloodless victory for trainer Donald McCain.
Earlier the Maguire-McCain combination had been successful on Diocles (2/7 fav) in the BetVictor.com Novices’ Hurdle.
Netminder (10/11 fav) was a most impressive winner of the Bet Mobile At BetVictor.com “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle for jockey Peter Buchanan and trainer Sandy Thomson.
The top race of the afternoon, the BetVictor.com Handicap Hurdle looked to be going the way of Lady Bluesky (7/2) but four lengths clear the last the mare blundered the last unseating rider Ewan Whillans to leave Nelson Du Ronceray (9/2) to pick up the spoils for jockey Callum Whillans and trainer Iain Jardine.
For more information call 01292 264179 or go online at www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk
Eight in a Row for Ayr Racecourse
09/12/11
Corks were popping at Ayr Racecourse last week when it was announced the track had been voted Racecourse of the Year 2011 for Scotland and the North East by The Racegoers Club.
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The fantastic run of awards dates back to 2004 the first full year current owners Alan Macdonald and Richard Johnstone were at the helm .
Ayr has thrived and as well as staging Scotland's two most prestigious Festivals – the Coral Scottish Grand National Festival in April and the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup Festival in September many major music acts have appeared at the course including Alexandra Burke, Deacon Blue, Status Quo, The Saw Doctors, Stacey Solomon and The Overtones.
In addition facilities at the track have greatly improved in both Club and Grandstand areas. All racecourse catering has been in house for the last 6 years and is currently headed by renowned Executive Chef Donald McInnes.
The Racegoers Club has more than 6,500 members who are all active racegoers . Ayr has now won the award 18 times since 1990.
Lindsey Smith, Sales and Marketing Manager at Ayr Racecourse, said: “It is a great honour to have won this award again which means we are retaining our popularity with our core audience. I'd like to thank everyone at the Racegoer's Club who voted for us.”
To find out more about racing at Ayr you can visit www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk or call 01292-264179.
Ayr Racing 2011 Review
08/12/11
Jockeys Richard Johnson and Franny Norton grabbed the headlines at Ayr Racecourse in 2011 riding the winners of the Coral Scottish Grand National and William Hill Ayr Gold Cup respectively.
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And for both riders it was the first time they had won the biggest races in the Scottish racing calendar.
For Johnson in particular the win was sweet . It was his 14th ride in the race and he gave the Tim Vaughan trained Beshabar, a 15/2 shot, a superb ride to hold off the 2010 winner Merigo all the way up the run in.
Merigo's owner Raymond Anderson Green was magnanimous in defeat and for Vaughan it was a defining moment in a great season.
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Dr Koukash commented afterwards : "I am so glad I came up this year, I missed last year's so it is great to be up here. Great course, great people, great result. We left at six this morning to be here and I don't think we'll go back till six o'clock tomorrow morning now."
Both Ayr's feature meetings in 2011 earned rave reviews from some of the biggest names in the sport. David Pipe heaped praise on the track following the Coral Scottish Grand National and the normally hard to please David 'Dandy' Nicholls commented : "The Clerk of the Course got it spot on" during the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup Festival.
Ayr Racecourse had started the year celebrating two awards. First up was the Racecourse of the Year 2010 for Scotland and the North East by The Racegoers Club - the seventh consecutive year the course has won this coveted award.
And then Clerk of the Course Emma Marley and her grounds team won one of the most prestigious honours in the racing industry - the Neil Wyatt Ground Staff Award for the Best Dual Purpose Course.
This was only the second time Ayr has received this recognition - having previously been successful in 1996, the inaugural year of the award.
After a much interrupted 2010 at the track with six abandonments Ayr lost only two meetings in 2011 - one in February and one in November.
Highest attendance of the year came when more than 15,000 attended the Coral Scottish Grand National Saturday and were treated to some memorable racing particularly the aforementioned duel between Beshaber and Merigo.
Other highlights included the Isle of Skye Blended Whisky Scottish Champion Hurdle which was won by the Paul Nicholls trained, Ruby Walsh ridden Sanctuaire (9/2 jt fav). There was also a win for Gilbarry (8/1) in the Scottish Sun Future Champion Novices Chase.
And on the Friday the Hillhouse Quarry Handicap Chase went to the Ferdy Murphy trained Watch My back (14/1) ridden by Graham Lee.
The first flat action of the 2011 season at Ayr came via a double header in May quickly followed by Saints and Sinners Racenight and the Scottish Sun Raceday in June.
The June Saturday normally provides quality racing and this year was no exception - the feature race of the afternoon, the Scottish News Of The World EBF 'Major Cadeaux' Land O'Burns Fillies' (Listed Race) was won by the favourite Margot Did in the hands of top lady jockey Hayley Turner.
And there was success for Irvine born jockey David Allan on Mariachi Man in the Scottish Sun Handicap for trainer Tim Easterby.
Champion jockey Paul Hanagan underlined his status by riding 14 winners from 61 mounts at Ayr during the flat season including several at the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup Festival.
All in all a good year for Ayr Racecourse with many highlights and with 2012 looming there's much to look forward to.
Our Jonathan Takes Gold at Ayr 17/09/11
Our Jonathan gave owner Dr Marwan Koukash back-to-back victories in the William Hill Gold Cup at Ayr. [more]
Beshabar Bags Scottish Grand National Glory 16/04/11
Cheltenham Festival runner-up Beshabar went one place better with a terrific performance from the front in the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr.
[more]
Racing Boost for Scottish Charities 08/03/11
Scottish charities received a shot in the arm from last year's busiest ever Saints and Sinners Racenight at Ayr Racecourse. [more]
Seven Up for Ayr Racecourse 07/12/10
Magnificent seven! Ayr Racecourse has been voted Racecourse of the Year 2010 for Scotland and the North East by The Racegoers Club for an incredible seventh consecutive year. [more]
Frankie Strikes Gold on Redford 18/09/10
Dandy Nicholls and Frankie Dettori teamed up for one of the most popular successes in the history of the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup as the Thirsk trainer incredibly saddled his sixth winner of the six-furlong dash.
[more]
Iris De Balme Bags Shock Scottish National Win
19/04/08
Iris De Balme produced an extraordinary performance to land the Coral Scottish
Grand National at Ayr. [more]
