Ayr Gold Cup Festival - Saturday's best free horse racing tips

The Ayr Gold Cup (1535) is the highlight of Saturday’s action, but there’s also the Group 3 Firth Of Clyde Stakes (1505) and six other cracking contests.

We begin with a quick list of tips from the eight-race card at Ayr, and we've pulled out some reasons for why we've picked our selections further down the page.

Don't forget to check out the full racecard, results and live odds in Planet Sport's racing live centre.

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(Please be aware selections could become non-runners after article's first publication)

 

Saturday’s Ayr tips in full:

13:15 (Ayr) Yantarni

13:50 (Ayr) Phantom Flight

14:25 (Ayr) Kings Merchant

15:00 (Ayr) Englemere

15:35 (Ayr) Rohaan

16:10 (Ayr) Redarna

16:40 (Ayr) Desert Falcon

17:15 (Ayr) Kihavah

 

13:15 (Ayr) Mirsky

Mirsky showed plenty of ability at the York Ebor Festival when second tackling a 1m Heritage Handicap.

David O’Meara’s five-year-old can go one better in the Livescore Bet Daily Extra Places Handicap.

 

13:50 (Ayr) Phantom Flight

Phantom Flight shoulders top weight in the Livescore Bet Doonside Cup Stakes but that should prove no bar to success.

He ran a cracker when second to See The Fire in the Strensall Stakes at York and while Persica is vastly favoured under the race conditions, Phantom Flight is clearly thriving for George Scott this term

 

14:25 (Ayr) Kings Merchant

The Silver Cup can go the way of Thirsk winner Kings Merchant, who appears firmly on the upgrade for Edward Bethell.

 

15:00 (Ayr) Englemere

Englemere makes most appeal in what is an open-looking Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Firth Of Clyde.

Winner of the Listed St Hugh’s Stakes at Newbury on her penultimate start, she found Aesterius and a couple of others too good when upped to Group Three level at ParisLongchamp on her most recent outing.

Beaten just over two lengths in fourth, she looked ready for a move up to six furlongs with the value of that form further underlined by Aesterius’ Flying Childers win last week.

 

15:35 (Ayr) Rohaan

Rohaan can snap a near year-long losing spell with victory in the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup.

David Evans’ charge is no stranger to trappy, big-field handicaps such as this, counting two Wokingham wins on a CV that also boasts Group Two and Three strikes.

Admittedly, the now six-year-old is not quite the same horse as when securing those Pattern verdicts back in 2021, but he remains a highly effective operator, who has now fallen to a very attractive mark of 96.

Triumphant off 6lb higher at Ascot last October, Rohaan had also run with credit off a perch of 104 when a narrow seventh in this race last term, underlining the appeal of his current rating.

A recent third at Ascot offered hope of a return to form after some disappointing efforts so far in 2024 and this could be an ideal opportunity to grab the spotlight once more.

 

16:10 (Ayr) Redarna

Redarna won by a neck at a similar level in a 1m handicap at Carlisle before a solid fifth over seven furlongs at the same venue, and will be a serious player in the Jordan Electrics Handicap.

 

16:40 (Ayr) Desert Falcon

Desert Falcon found success in this handicap grade over seven furlongs at Thirsk nearly two weeks ago, so makes for plenty of appeal.

The main danger will come from Vince Le Prince, who indicated ability in the same Thirsk handicap running a solid third that day.

 

17:15 (Ayr) Kihavah

Former course winner Kihavah showed plenty of ability in the York Ebor meeting last month when a smart runner-up tackling the 1m6f Ebor Heritage Handicap.

Fiver Friday found success by over 1m2f at Naas and also won at this track during April. Up in trip looks open to further progress.

 

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