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Entry For Ayr Gold And Silver Cups
Top prizes at totesport Ayr Gold Cup Festival
racing_news/
Ayr set for another great Gold Cup Festival
09/09/05
SCOTLAND’S richest flat race meeting – the totesport Gold Cup festival comes under orders at Ayr Racecourse on Thursday lasting through to Saturday when the Ayr Gold Cup is run over the straight six furlongs.
Europe’s richest sprint handicap, with a prize fund of £120,690 and £70,000 to the winner, will once again attract a maximum 28 runner field with the next 28 horses balloted out of the big race running in Friday’s totesport Ayr Silver Cup.
Trainer David ‘Dandy’ Nicholls who has trained the winner of the Gold Cup in four of the last five years again has a strong hand even after the withdrawal last week of the then ante post favourite Gift Horse.
However Nicholls has the new favourite with the sponsors – Ice Planet at 8/1 and his other intended runners include 2001 winner Continent (10/1), Pieter Brueghel (16/1), the 2002 and 2004 winner Funfair Wane (20/1) and Just James (25/1).
Hopes of a first Scottish-trained winner in 30 years since Roman Warrior’s win in 1975 rest with Ian Semple’s pair Chookie Heiton (20/1) and Appalachian Trail (25/1), while Jim Goldie has Orientor and River Falcon ( both 25/1) and Linda Perratt will attempt to turn her season around with Dance Night at 40/1.
Despite heavy rain falling in Ayr throughout Friday, the ground is likely to be good, good to firm in places and clerk of the course Anthea Morshead said: “We won’t water until early in the week if necessary. The going should be on the fast side of good but overall it will be good racing ground.
“The Gold Cup Festival at Ayr is always a great occasion and everyone at the course is looking ahead to this year’s events both on and off course and we should have super fields all three days.”
The festival gets under way at 2.10 pm on Thursday and there are seven races on Thursday and Friday with an eight race card on Saturday.
Chief supporting races to the Ayr Gold Cup on Saturday are the Group 3 TSG Firth of Clyde Stakes over six furlongs for two year old fillies and the listed Weatherbys Bank Stakes over one mile two furlongs for the Doonside Cup.
The biggest ever Ladies Day held at a Scottish Racecourse is being staged at Ayr on Friday when a staggering £25,000 worth of prizes are on offer with the winner receiving a brand new £17,000 Volkswagen Beetle convertible with runners up prizes including a cruise and diamonds !
A total of 28 ladies will contest the final each having won a silver coin. All 28 will draw a number corresponding to that of a runner in the totesport Ayr Silver Cup.
The holder of the coin bearing the number of the winner of the race will win a £17,000 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible courtesy of the Ingram Motoring Group. Runners up prizes include a seven day Mediterranean cruise courtesy of Stewart Travel and P & O cruises, a £2500 white gold diamond and sapphire Nina Ricci necklace and ear-rings set from Oghams the jewellers of Ayr and Edinburgh, a £300 voucher from High Street fashion retailer Planet, totesport betting vouchers, a membership for Ayr Racecourse and a membership for Curves Gym in Ayr.
Already ladies from as far afield as Kilkeel, County Down and Newcastle have secured places in the final but the good news is there are still some silver coins to be won. Best Dressed Ladies attending the Thursday meeting on September 15 will have a chance of a place in the final as will those arriving early on September 16.
