It is one of the showpiece sporting events of the year in Ayrshire and a number of Arran residents will join the throngs who will make their way from all over the country to Ayr for the Gold Cup festival next weekend. Here we preview the event.
The 2017 William Hill Ayr Gold Cup Festival at Ayr Racecourse from Thursday September 21 to Saturday September 23 carries a record amount of prize-mon- ey with £715,500 up for grabs.
The £200,000 William Hill Ayr Gold Cup run on the Saturday has attracted a stellar entry of leading sprinterswith a maximum field of 25 runners expected to go to post. Among those likely to contest the race are Saturday’s Goodwood winner Johnny Barnes, trained by John Gosden, who is currently 14-1 clear second favourite with William Hill with Charlie Hills’s Shanghai Glory, third in the Great St Wilfrid at Ripon earlier in the month, the favourite at 12-1.