Another big event on the British flat horse racing calendar is about to open its gates. Before the 2025 flat racing season is closed to give way to the jump races, enjoy your day at the races with the Ayr Gold Cup Festival 2025.
The annual Ayr Gold Cup Festival will take place at Scotland’s very own Ayr Racecourse. Located in the famous poet Robert Burns’ birth town, Ayr Racecourse is a premium Grade One venue that offers both flat and jump races all year around.
Ayr Gold Cup 2025 will last for three days as usual, and this year it falls between Thursday, 18 September and Saturday, 20 September. The Almins Vantage/Lallemand Magniva Classic EBF Novice Stakes will open the event, while The Jordan Electrics Handicap Stakes will be the closing race this season.
The Ayr Gold Cup, which gave the entire meeting its name, will take place on the last day of the Festival, Saturday, 20 September.
Key Dates & Timings
The Ayr Gold Cup Festival 2025 will be conducted in the third week of September and last for three days. Each of the three days will include seven races. Day one is called Opening Day, day two is a dedicated Ladies’ Day, while day three goes under the name of Ayr Gold Cup Day, as it is the day when the headline race is conducted.
Day One: Opening Day
- When: Thursday, 18 September
- Gate opening: 11:45 am
- First race: 1:45 pm
- Headline race: 2:45 pm
- Last race: 4:45 pm
Day Two: Ladies’ Day
- When: Friday, 19 September
- Gate opening: 12:00 pm
- First race: 1:58 pm
- Headline race: 3:40 pm
- Last race: 5:20 pm
Day Three: Ayr Gold Cup Day
- When: Saturday, 20 September
- Gate opening: 11:00 am
- First race: 1:15 pm
- Headline race: 3:35 pm
- Last race: 4:40 pm
The daily race cards for the Festival are as follows:
Thursday, 18 September
Going: good to soft (good in places)
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:45 pm | THE ALMINS VANTAGE/LALLEMAND MAGNIVA CLASSIC EBF NOVICE STAKES (CLASS 5) (GBB RACE) (CL 5) | 1m | 2YO £8,000.00 |
| 2:15 pm | THE JACKIE AND JANET MACK 65TH ANNIVERSARY HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 5) (CL 5) | 5f | 3YO+ £8,000.00 Rating 51-70 |
| 2:45 pm | THE LADBROKES ‘FREE BET AT AYR’ KILKERRAN HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 2) | 1m 2f | 3YO+ £30,000.00 Rating 81-100 |
| 3:15 pm | THE BRITISH STALLION STUDS SCOTTISH PREMIER SERIES EBF FILLIES’ HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 4) | 1m 2f | 3YO+ £17,000.00 Rating 66-85 |
| 3:45 pm | THE RBC BREWIN DOLPHIN WEALTH MANAGEMENT HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 5) (CL 5) | 1m | 3YO+ £8,000.00 Rating 56-75 |
| 4:15 pm | THE LADBROKES ‘GET REWARDED WITH LADBUCKS’ HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 6) (CL 6) | 7f 50y | 3YO+ £7,000.00 Rating 46-65 |
| 4:45 pm | THE MILLAR CALLAGHAN 25TH ANNIVERSARY HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 3) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 3) | 1m 5f 26y | 3YO+ £16,000.00 Rating 76-95 |
Friday, 19 September
Going: good to soft (good in places)
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:58 pm | THE LADBROKES ‘FREE BET AT AYR’ FILLIES’ NURSERY HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (CL 4) | 7f 50y | 2YO £15,000.00 Rating 0-85 |
| 2:33 pm | THE GET HOME SAFE WITH THISTLE CABS EBF NURSERY HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 6f | 2YO £18,000.00 |
| 3:05 pm | THE BRITISH EBF STALLIONS HARRY ROSEBERY STAKES (CLASS 1) (Listed Race) (CL 1) | 5f | 2YO £35,500.00 |
| 3:40 pm | THE ARRAN SCOTTISH SPRINT EBF FILLIES’ STAKES (CLASS 1) (Listed Race) (CL 1) | 5f 110y | 3YO+ £47,000.00 |
| 4:15 pm | THE LADBROKES AYR BRONZE CUP HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 6f | 3YO+ £35,000.00 |
| 4:45 pm | THE GRAEME ALLAN’S 70TH BIRTHDAY PENSION SCHEME HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 5) (CL 5) | 1m | 3YO+ £9,000.00 Rating 51-70 |
| 5:20 pm | THE SLATER MENSWEAR HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 5) (CL 5) | 1m 5f 26y | 3YO+ £9,000.00 Rating 51-70 |
Saturday, 20 September
Going: good to soft (good in places)
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:15 pm | THE LADBROKES ‘FREE BET AT AYR’ HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 1m | 3YO+ £45,000.00 Rating 81-100 |
| 1:50 pm | THE LADBROKES ‘BIG FOOTBALL BET BUILDER BOOSTS’ DOONSIDE CUP STAKES (CLASS 1) (Listed Race) (CL 1) | 1m 2f | 3YO+ £60,000.00 |
| 2:25 pm | THE LADBROKES AYR SILVER CUP HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 6f | 3YO+ £65,000.00 |
| 3:00 pm | THE LADBROKES ‘GET REWARDED WITH LADBUCKS’ FIRTH OF CLYDE (CLASS 1) (Group 3)(for the Ayrshire Agricultural Challenge Cup) (CL 1) | 6f | 2YO £65,000.00 |
| 3:35 pm | THE LADBROKES AYR GOLD CUP HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (Heritage Handicap) (CL 2) | 6f | 3YO+ £180,000.00 |
| 4:10 pm | THE BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF NOVICE STAKES (CLASS 2) (GBB RACE) (CL 2) | 7f 50y | 2YO £40,000.00 |
| 4:40 pm | THE JORDAN ELECTRICS HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (CL 4) | 7f 50y | 3YO+ £22,000.00 Rating 61-80 |
How to Buy Tickets
Tickets for the Ayr Gold Cup Festival can be purchased at the official website of the racecourse. You can buy both daily tickets and 3 day full event tickets. Ayr Racecourse offers two enclosures for the meeting: the Grandstand and the Club.
A Grandstand ticket will give you admission to all Grandstand areas, the Paddock, as well as the Ayrshire Suite at the Princess Royal Stand. Regular price starts at £22 but varies depending on the day of the event if you are buying a single ticket. Various discounts and add ons are available.
With the Club admission badge you have the permission to use any public facilities on the course, which includes the Princess Royal Suite with its panoramic views of the racecourse, the Champagne Lawns, and of course, the Parade Ring. Regular price starts at £28 but varies on different days of the Festival. Various discounts and add ons are available.
And of course, what is a day at the races without an outstanding dining experience? At Ayr Racecourse, you can choose from a number of restaurants, private boxes, and marquees. You will have to hurry if you want to buy a package, though, as many of them are already sold out.
Travel & Transport Guide
The Ayr Gold Cup Festival is conducted at the Ayr Racecourse located at the following address: Whitletts Rd, Ayr KA8 0JE, United Kingdom. You can reach your destination by various means of transportation from different directions.
By car
With Glasgow only 37 miles and Edinburgh only 83 miles away, it is easy to reach Ayr Racecourse from both these cities if you follow the M77. Parking is available at the racecourse free of charge for all visitors.
By train
Ayr is well connected with the rest of the country through railways, so you can come by train from multiple departing points. The Ayr Railway Station is only a 21 minute walk from the course. It will take you only about 5 minutes if you decide to take a ride.
By air
If you are flying in for the Festival, you may choose flights arriving at either Prestwick International Airport or Glasgow Airport. The journey from the former to Ayr will only take you 10 minutes, while the latter is located 40 minutes away.
Headline Races at the Ayr Gold Cup Festival
The Ayr Gold Cup Festival includes 21 races distributed over 3 days of the event, 7 races per day. The variety of conditions, tracks, and runners caters to different interests and preferences of all Ayr Racecourse visitors.
Ladbrokes Kilkerran Cup (Thursday, 18 September)
Ladbrokes Kilkerran Cup is a Class 2 flat horse race that accepts both colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run over the distance of 1 mile 2 furlong (2,011 metres).
Currently, there are 20 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys have already been announced for the known runners, while others are yet to be confirmed.
Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies’ Stakes (Friday, 19 September)
Arran Scottish Sprint is a Class 1 flat horse race that accepts fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run over the distance of 5 furlongs and 110 yards (1,106 metres). It is a relatively new race that was first introduced in 2017.
Currently, there are 28 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys have already been announced for the known runners, while others are yet to be confirmed.
Ayr Gold Cup (Saturday, 20 September)
Ayr Gold Cup is a Class 2 flat horse race that accepts both colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run over the distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres). It is also the race that stands at the roots of the entire festival.
Established in 1804, in its early stages it only accepted horses bred and trained in Scotland. It was initially run as two separate heats of one mile each, then was combined into one two mile long race. It was subsequently shortened twice: first in 1870 to about a mile and again in 1908 to 6 furlongs.
Currently, 253 runners have entered to run in this year’s race. As only up to 25 final runners are allowed to participate in the Ayr Gold Cup, this number will change once the list of the runners is finalised before the day of the race. Jockeys for the race are still awaiting confirmation. We will update the article as soon as this information becomes available.
Betting at Ayr Gold Cup Festival
Betting on the Ayr Gold Cup Festival races will be possible both online and on the course. As one of the most significant events on the British flat horse racing calendar, it enjoys popularity among race goers, punters, and bookmakers alike. A lot of bookmaking platforms working with horse racing betting markets will include the Festival and its races on the menu.
At 7bet, we offer a wide range of horse race betting markets both for domestic and international events.
Please note that odds for the Ayr Gold Cup Festival will be available closer to the event date.
Betting at the Ayr Gold Cup Festival includes various horse betting markets, with some of the most popular being:
- Win: Think you know which horse is going to finish the race first and take the crown? With this bet, you can place a wager on the potential winner. If your prediction happens to be correct, you qualify for a payout.
- Place: What if you see a horse with a high potential to win the race but competing against equally strong rivals? You can bet that the horse of your choice will be placed in the race, i.e. come to the finish line in top two to top four (the winning top is defined by the total number of runners). If it does finish the race in any of the winning positions, your bet will win.
- First Two (or First Three): Want to try and predict the entire winning top in a single race? If you place your wager on this bet, you will need to name two (or three) horses who in your opinion will finish the race before others. In addition to that, you also need to specify the order in which each of them will reach the finish line.
- Two From Three: But what if you want to place a bet on the potential winning top but with a little less risk? If you are predicting two from three winners, you have to mention which horses are likely to come to the finish line within the top three. But the good news for you is that you don’t have to predict their exact placement. Any position within the winning top three will qualify your bet for a payout.
Always remember to gamble responsibly and treat betting as a form of entertainment and not means for financial gain.
Ayr Gold Cup Past Winners
The list of the Ayr Gold Cup winners spreads over more than 200 years and includes many outstanding racing horses and highly skilled jockeys. The horses who won the Ayr Gold Cup in the past 25 years since 2000 were the following:
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2000 | Bahamian Pirate | 5 | Adrian Nicholls | David Nicholls |
| 2001 | Continent | 4 | Darryll Holland | David Nicholls |
| 2002 | Funfair Wane | 3 | Adrian Nicholls | David Nicholls |
| 2003 | Quito | 6 | Tony Culhane | David Chapman |
| 2004 | Funfair Wane | 5 | Paul Doe | David Nicholls |
| 2005 | Presto Shinko | 4 | Seb Sanders | Richard Hannon Sr. |
| 2006 | Fonthill Road | 6 | Paul Hanagan | Richard Fahey |
| 2007 | Advanced | 4 | Jamie Spencer | Kevin Ryan |
| 2008 | Regal Parade | 4 | William Carson, Jr. | David Nicholls |
| 2009 | Jimmy Styles | 5 | Frankie Dettori | Clive Cox |
| 2010 | Redford | 5 | Frankie Dettori | David Nicholls |
| 2011 | Our Jonathan | 4 | Franny Norton | Kevin Ryan |
| 2012 | Captain Ramius | 6 | Pat Smullen | Kevin Ryan |
| 2013 | Highland Colori | 5 | Oisin Murphy | Andrew Balding |
| 2014 | Louis the Pious | 6 | James Doyle | David O’Meara |
| 2015 | Don’t Touch | 3 | Tony Hamilton | Richard Fahey |
| 2016 | Brando | 4 | Tom Eaves | Kevin Ryan |
| 2017 | Donjuan Triumphant | 4 | P. J. McDonald | Andrew Balding |
| 2018
(dead heat) |
Baron Bolt
Son of Rest |
5
4 |
Cameron Noble
Chris Hayes |
Paul Cole
Fozzy Stack |
| 2019 | Angel Alexander | 3 | Richard Kingscote | Tom Dascombe |
| 2020 | Nahaarr | 4 | Tom Marquand | William Haggas |
| 2021 | Bielsa | 6 | Kevin Stott | Kevin Ryan |
| 2022 | Summerghand | 8 | Daniel Tudhope | David O’Meara |
| 2023 | Significantly | 5 | Joe Fanning | Julie Camacho |
| 2024 | Lethal Levi | 5 | Clifford Lee | Karl Burke |
Bay gelding Lethal Levi was 5 when he won the Ayr Gold Cup in the 2024 flat racing season. This was his third win of the season, having previously taken the first place in Newbury, first in May and then in August.
For trainer Karl Burke, this was his third charge to win the Ayr Gold Cup. Both of his first two victories took place in the 1990s, when Daring Destiny came to the finish line first under Jason Tate in 1994, and then in 1998 Always Alight did the same thing led by John Egan.
Lethal Levi has entered to participate in this year’s race again to defend his crown.
Ayr Gold Cup Records
As the Ayr Gold Cup is open to horses aged three years or older, it is quite possible for one horse to win the Cup several times during their career. And of course, so can both jockeys and trainers. Below you will find the names of the most successful achievers of the Ayr Gold Cup with multiple wins to their names.
- Leading horse: Dazzle with 3 wins (1889, 1890, 1891)
- Leading jockey: Tom Nicholson (1827, 1830, 1831, 1834) and William Noble (1836, 1840, 1842, 1843), both with 4 wins
- Leading trainer: Tom Dawson with 15 wins (1835, 1838, 1836, 1837, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1852, 1854, 1868, 1869)
It should also be mentioned that the names of the jockeys and trainers of some of the early winners didn’t remain in history, so it is quite possible that there have been more of them with equally impressive achievements.
Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org