Saturday is Ayr Gold Cup Day and ITV will be bringing five live races from Scotland to our screens. Joining the action from Ayr will be four races from Newbury on the second day of their Dubai Duty Free International Weekend.
- 1:15 Ayr: Ladbrokes “Free Bet At Ayr” Handicap – Impartiality @ 13/2
- 1:30 Newbury: Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes – Rage Of Bamby @ 6/1
- 1:50 Ayr: Ladbrokes “Big Football Bet Builder Boosts” Doonside Cup Stakes – Caviar Heights @ 6/1
- 2:05 Newbury: Dubai Duty Free Autumn Cup Handicap – Majestic Warrior @ 6/1
- 2:25 Ayr: Ladbrokes Ayr Silver Cup Handicap – Candy @ 14/1
- 2:40 Newbury: Dubai Duty Free Handicap – Dante’s Lad @ 7/1
- 3:00 Ayr: Ladbrokes “Get Rewarded With Ladbucks” Firth Of Clyde – Lightning Polka @ 5/1
- 3:15 Newbury: Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes – Words Of Truth @ 2/1
- 3:35 Ayr: Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup Handicap – Two Tribes @ 9/1
The live ITV racing on Saturday kicks-off with a 1m handicap from Ayr. Roger Varian’s Khafiz heads the betting having already won twice this season, finishing in 7th in a Group 3 at Deauville last time out. Michael Dods’ Northern Express who was fifth in the Clipper Handicap at York last month is next ahead of Impartiality for Philip Makin who finished down in 12th in the Mile Handicap also at York but has a big weight advantage over the market principles.
The Group World Trophy at Newbury is next, with Jonathan Portman’s Rumstar, William Haggas’s Montassib, Eve Johnson Houghton’s Rage Of Bamby and Michael Appleby’s Shagraan all making strong claims.
Just six runners are set to compete in the Doonside Cup with Andrew Balding’s Almeric the race favourite. The grey hasn’t run since winning the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket back in April. Our pick goes to the William Haggas runner Caviar Heights who narrowly missed out on a Listed victory at Windsor last time out.
Race four is the Autumn Cup Handicap over 1m5½f before the Ayr Silver Cup, the race for the best of the runners missing out on an entry to the Gold Cup. The maximum 25 are set to go to post in a race every bit as competitive as the main event.
Newbury’s 1m2f Dubai Duty Free Handicap is next before Scotland’s only Group race, the Firth Of Clyde. This contest is a 6f Group 3 sprint for two-year-old fillies and has Roger Varian’s Coming Attraction as the current favourite having won well at Chester last time out. The King’s horse Lightening Polka was hugely impressive on debut and is next in the market for Ed Walker.
Newbury’s Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes is their big race of the day and like the Firth Of Clyde, this is a 6f race for two-year-olds. Charlie Appleby’s Words Of Truth, Jim Bim Boyle’s Into The Sky and Kevin Ryan’s Rock On Thunder are vying for favouritism in a race which could give us some early clues to next year’s classics.
ITV’s live coverage closes with the big betting heat of the Weekend, the Ayr Gold Cup. With a field of 25 due to line up, this is a tricky puzzle to solve. Steward’s Cup winner Two Tribes was fourth behind the market leader Northern Ticker at York last month, but has plenty of big-field handicap experience and could well be in the frame again.