Gordon Brown – Race Reporter
Gordon has a wealth of experience of racing through his background in the written and broadcast media. His current principle role is reporting and supporting the scene in Scotland on Racing TV and relaying the latest news with Scottish angles.
SCOTLAND’S biggest and richest Flat racing meeting gets under way today (Thursday) at Ayr Racecourse with the opening day of the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup Festival.
The feature race is the £30,000 Virgin Bet Kilkerran Cup Handicap over 1m 2f at 3.00pm and has attracted a field of 14 runners which includes the winners of the last two renewals of the race.
Chichester, trained by Keith Dalgleish, won the contest last year and bottom weight First Impression from the John Quinn yard was successful in 2020. Both should be prominent this time round but the Willie Haggas trained three-year-old Al Mubhir who will be ridden by Tom Marquand could be hard to beat.
The biggest field of the day is in the Brandinghub for Signs & Graphics Handicap over 5f and this wide open contest sees Jim Goldie saddle three runners – Tanasoq, Bonito Cavalo and Kraken Power ridden respectively by Shannon Watts, George Downing and Amie Waugh.
Tim Easterby has a superb record at the meeting and has 14 runners across the card including course and distance winner Flying Pursuit in the Virgin Bet Handicap at 5.20pm.