William Hill Ayr Gold Cup Odds and Preview – Horse Racing Betting September 23

Can Fandango dance to Ayr Gold Cup glory?

21st September 2017 / paul
Horse Racing Betting

Losing one day of their big Western meeting was a huge financial blow to Ayr racecourse and executives will be praying that the rain relents sufficiently to allow their big race of the Flat season – the £200,000 William Hill Ayr Gold Cup – to take place.

William Hill Ayr Gold Cup Current Best Odds

Shanghai Glory (8/1), Donjuan Triumphant, Ice Age and Johnny Barnes (12/1), Toscanini (14/1), Aeolus, Growl and Stamp Hill (16/1), Golden Apollo and Orion’s Bow (20/1), Mr Lupton and Kickboxer (22/1), Teruntum Star, Get Knotted, Kimberella, Mobsta, Rene Mathis, Stake Acclaim and Withernsea (25/1), Clem Fandango, Eastern Impact and Edward Lewis (33/1), Magnus Maximus and Perfect Pasture (40/1), Doc Sportello (50/1)

Ayr Gold Cup History and Trends

The Ayr Gold Cup has an illustrious history having been first staged in 1804. Now the richest sprint handicap in Europe, it began life as two heats and a final over two miles to decide the winner. The field is limited to 25 by modern safety standards but the next 25 in the weights can contest the Silver Cup on the same day with another 25 put into the Bronze Cup, run a day earlier. Punters study both races for clues about the going and draw.

No horse drawn higher than 22 has won since 1997. Stall eight has fared particularly well in the last 13 years, providing the winner on four occasions including last year, though stall 19 has produced the winner in two of the last four years.

The age range of winners is largely inconclusive, though there has been no winner aged older than six since 1993 and only two three-year-olds have been successful in the last 23 years. With four of the last 10 winners, Kevin Ryan is easily the most successful trainer of modern times with Terentum Star his only entry this year. By comparison, North Yorkshire neighbour is responsible for nine of the 25 runners as he bids for a third success in the 6f handicap.

Recent Winners of the Ayr Gold Cup

YEAR HORSE AGE WGT FORM TRAINER JOCKEY RUNNERS OR SP
2016 Brando 4 9-10 122129 K A Ryan T Eaves 23 110 11/1
2015 Don’t Touch 3 9-1 1111 R A Fahey T Hamilton 25 102 6/1
2014 Louis The Pious 6 9-4 201707 D O’Meara J Doyle 27 104 10/1
2013 Highland Colori 5 9-4 010631 A M Balding O Murphy 26 99 20/1
2012 Captain Ramius 6 9-0 41-7834 K A Ryan P J Smullen 26 100 16/1
2011 Our Jonathan 4 9-6 128562 K A Ryan F Norton 26 105 11/1
2010 Redford 5 9-2 920093 D Nicholls L Dettori 26 97 14/1
2009 Jimmy Styles 5 9-2 433 C G Cox L Dettori 26 102 14/1
2008 Regal Parade 4 9-1 130 D Nicholls W A Carson 27 99 18/1
2007 Advanced 4 9-9 720 K A Ryan J P Spencer 28 109 20/1
2006 Fonthill Road 6 9-2 009 R A Fahey P Hanagan 23 97 16/1
2005 Presto Shinko 4 9-2 711 R Hannon S Sanders 27 98 12/1
2004 Funfair Wane 5 8-6 060 D Nicholls P Doe 24 90 33/1
2003 Quito 6 8-6 344 D W Chapman A Culhane 26 92 20/1

It’s probably a toss-up over which of the Fahey legions is best treated. Toscanini (a best 14/1) has spent much of this season acting as a pacemaker for more illustrious stablemate Ribchester but he’s a smart performer in his own right, as he showed last time in a Group 3 at York when only beaten a neck.

Stamp Hill is at the opposite end of the handicap, however, and is one of the few guaranteed to act on the forecast heavy going. He offers some value at the general 16/1 given his ability to stay further will be a plus on the ground. He won the International Stakes at Ascot in July when a 50/1 chance but the negatives are his lack of consistency and a draw up against the usually unfavoured stands’ rail – he’s also gone up 8lb.
Shanghai Glory (widely available at 8/1) is deservedly near the head of the market after an unlucky run in the Great St Wilfrid at Ripon, where he was drawn on the ‘wrong’ side and there has also been money for former Group 2 winner Donjuan Triumphant, who got back to winning ways last time at Haydock – he’s a best 12/1.
Ice Age is also a best 12/1 and in terrific form. Eve Johnson Houghton’s charge is chasing a four-timer having won a lucrative handicap on soft ground at the Curragh earlier this month to add to victories at Windsor.
There are only two three-year-old and Golden Apollo has already had a good season, winning at Pontefract, York and Ascot. He is stand-out 20/1 with Paddy Power but is more exposed than CLEM FANDANGO.
Keith Dalgleish’s filly has only run twice this year, both times in pattern race company at Maisons-Laffitte. There are concerns, notably the heavy ground and the fact that she’s only raced over 6f once before. But countering that is her draw in ‘lucky’ stall eight and the fact that she easily won the Listed Harry Roseberry Stakes at this meeting last year before finishing second in the Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot when ahead of one of this season’s top sprinters, Battaash. On that form, the general 33/1 looks way too big.