John Arnold looks ahead to one of the most competitive sprint handicaps of the season. He takes a deep dive into the race and picks out three runners not to ignore for the Scottish showpiece. History: The Ayr Gold Cup, first established in 1966, is one of the most prestigious sprint races in the UK and is held annually at Ayr Racecourse in Scotland. Designed for thoroughbred horses aged three years and older, this exciting flat race is run over a distance of 6 furlongs and ha
After pinpointing the first three home in the Ebor Handicap, John Arnold returns with two worth following in the final classic of the season as he dissects the St Leger. History: The St Leger Stakes, inaugurated in 1776, is the oldest Classic horse race in the world, held annually at Doncaster Racecourse. Established by Colonel Anthony St Leger as a way to promote horse racing in the area, the race was originally planned as a local event but quickly gained popularity, becomi
For the second week running, Mickael Barzalona and the famous colours of the Aga Khan stole the headlines as Rayif landed the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois. The complexion of the race changed dramatically last Tuesday following the shock announcement that unbeaten star Bow Echo had been retired and would therefore miss the Deauville showpiece. While the news came as a huge disappointment to racing fans across the globe, who had hoped to see more of the hugely talented colt,
Matt Polley heads to Kempton for his best bets to kick-start the week as he pinpoints two runners worth following. 18:45 KEMPTON Fight Your Corner must be quite a difficult horse to train for some reason, with only six races under his belt at the age of five. He clearly has a fair amount of ability, and if all is well, he should run really well. Loblolly is consistent, but probably in the grip of the handicapper. A chance is taken with Gilet. He’s run some decent races in d
Sunday's ITV Racing action offers a fascinating afternoon of National Hunt racing from Aintree and Market Rasen, a one-off visit to Galway, Ireland, alongside an intriguing trip to Italy for Group 2 action at San Siro where a jumping superstar aims to claim Group race success on the flat. 13:35 MARKET RASEN Perhaps an uninspiring selection at the current odds, but Don Dandy looks a worthy favourite following his victory last time out. With just seven runners heading to post,