ITV Racing Tips: Orazio to plunder Ayr Gold Cup for Hills and Crowley
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After the end of the Classic campaign for another year last weekend, the Flat season continues to wind down with one of the year’s biggest handicaps.
The Ayr Gold Cup is a race for punters who are set the challenge of finding the winner from a 25 runner field in which ground and draw often play a part.
Last year’s winner Summerghand bids to go back-to-back and could go off favourite but, in the betting at least, his position is under threat from Juan Les Pins, runner-up at York last time and third in the Stewards Cup for the in-form Mick Appleby.
Ayr, which also stages the consolation Silver Cup, shares the TV coverage with Newbury where the Mill Reef Stakes is the highlight.
Altogether there will be nine races on ITV4, five from Ayr and four from Newbury. It kicks off at 1pm and we have previewed three of the day’s significant races in our ITV racing tips.
The Owen Burrows-trained Raqiya has won two out of three, capturing a pair of novice events quite stylishly but this is a different level of race and she could be found out.
Karl Burke, the season’s top trainer of two-year-olds, bids to continue his electric form with Dorothy Lawrence who was beaten a short head in a Group 3 at Salisbury last time. Better value is Navassa Island, who found the Albany Stakes too much too soon on her second start but got her campaign back on track with victory at the Curragh last time.
Haatem has already won at Group 2 level, as a result of which he has to concede 3lb to all of his rivals. On the evidence of his last run in the Gimcrack Stakes at York he could struggle, but that run was too bad to be true, even if it was back at 6f, having won the Vintage Stakes over 7f.
This race is over 6f as well but on heavy ground it will feel like further. Haatem won on soft ground at Goodwood and if he is at that level again he is the one to beat.
It is going to be hard to dismiss Summerghand as he bids for back-to-back victories here. He is always thereabouts in this type of contest but not easy to win with as he needs to be played late and wait for the gaps.
Danny Tudhope managed that marvellously a year ago and a 15 draw allows him time to pick a group to follow.
Orazio deserves another chance to make his breakthrough at this level. He impressed at the start of the season in wins at Newmarket and Ascot, and went off favourite for the Wokingham, finishing sixth behind Saint Lawrence.
He was favourite again for the Stewards Cup but found nothing when let down on the heavy ground. Provided conditions at Ayr do not worsen from good to soft, he can get back on a progressive path.
ITV racing schedule, Saturday, 23rd September
13:15 Ayr – 1m handicap
13:30 Newbury – World Trophy Stakes
13:50 Ayr – Doonside Cup
14:05 Newbury – Autumn Cup
14:25 Ayr – Ayr Silver Cup
14:40 Newbury– 1m2f handicap
15:00 Ayr – Firth Of Clyde Stakes
15:15 Newbury – Mill Reef Stakes
15:35 Ayr – Ayr Gold Cup
