Ayr Gold Cup
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The Ayr Gold Cup is a flat horse race in the United Kingdom for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a straight 6 furlongs (1,207 metres) at Ayr Racecourse in September.
It was first run in 1804 when the race was contested over two separate heats of 2 miles. This bears little resemblance to the much shorter race of today, which is now the richest sprint handicap in Europe.
The current maximum number of runners is 28, taken from the 28 highest weighted horses entered for the race. The next 28 in the list compete for the Ayr Silver Cup over the same course and distance one day earlier, and the result of this can sometimes hint at a possible draw advantage in the Ayr Gold Cup.
[edit] The Draw
There is often much debate concerning the effect of the draw (the allocation of stall positions from which the horses start the race), and whether there is any advantage in being drawn low, middle or high. Horses with the highest stall numbers run on the stands' side, while those with low numbers are on the far side. However, there are no apparent trends when comparing the draw positions of previous winners.
In 2006 the draw took place in public two days before the race, in the paddock at Ayr Racecourse. The names of the 28 runners were placed in a hat, and as each name was drawn, the trainer (or their representative) was given a minute to choose an available stall number for their horse.
[edit] Winners since 1988
| Year | Winner | Age | Weight | Jockey | Trainer | Draw | Odds | Time |
| 1988 | So Careful | 5 | 7-07 | Nicky Carlisle | Jack Berry | 6 | 33/1 | 1:14.54 |
| 1989 | Joveworth | 6 | 8-00 | Jimmy Fortune | Mike O'Neill | 6 | 50/1 | 1:14.92 |
| 1990 | Final Shot | 3 | 8-02 | John Lowe | Peter Easterby | 8 | 12/1 | 1:13.80 |
| 1991 | Sarcita | 3 | 8-10 | Brett Doyle | David Elsworth | 18 | 14/1 | 1:09.36 |
| 1992 | Lochsong | 4 | 9-00 | Francis Arrowsmith | Ian Balding | 28 | 10/1 | 1:15.51 |
| 1993 | Hard to Figure | 7 | 9-06 | Ray Cochrane | Ron Hodges | 8 | 12/1 | 1:09.05 |
| 1994 | Daring Destiny | 3 | 8-00 | Jason Tate | Karl Burke | 29 | 18/1 | 1:14.61 |
| 1995 | Royale Figurine | 4 | 8-09 | Darryll Holland | Martin Fetherston-Godley | 27 | 8/1 | 1:11.11 |
| 1996 | Coastal Bluff | 4 | 9-10 | Jimmy Fortune | David Barron | 28 | 3/1 F | 1:09.54 |
| 1997 | Wildwood Flower | 4 | 9-03 | Dane O'Neill | Richard Hannon | 24 | 14/1 | 1:11.64 |
| 1998 | Always Alight | 4 | 8-07 | John Egan | Karl Burke | 8 | 16/1 | 1:16.12 |
| 1999 | Grangeville | 4 | 9-00 | Kieren Fallon | Ian Balding | 17 | 11/1 | 1:11.16 |
| 2000 | Bahamian Pirate | 5 | 8-00 | Adrian Nicholls | David Nicholls | 7 | 33/1 | 1:13.47 |
| 2001 | Continent | 4 | 8-10 | Darryll Holland | David Nicholls | 22 | 10/1 | 1:09.70 |
| 2002 | Funfair Wane | 3 | 9-03 | Adrian Nicholls | David Nicholls | 16 | 16/1 | 1:11.76 |
| 2003 | Quito | 6 | 8-06 | Tony Culhane | David Chapman | 10 | 20/1 | 1:09.90 |
| 2004 | Funfair Wane | 5 | 8-06 | Paul Doe | David Nicholls | 8 | 33/1 | 1:16.15 |
| 2005 | Presto Shinko | 4 | 9-02 | Seb Sanders | Richard Hannon | 2 | 12/1 | 1:12.45 |
| 2006 | Fonthill Road | 6 | 9-02 | Paul Hanagan | Richard Fahey | 6 | 16/1 | 1:12.70 |
