On Saturday, 19 September, the Ayr Gold Cup Festival 2026 will hold its third and last day. It is also when the Ayr Gold Cup race will run as the headline of both the closing day and the entire meeting. It is one of the largest and most renowned flat handicap races in Britain. It is conducted at the Ayr Racecourse in Scotland.
The Ayr Gold Cup is a flat handicap horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres). Horses eliminated from its field are offered an opportunity to run in the Ayr Silver Cup or Ayr Bronze Cup.
In this article we will review the list of runners in this season’s race, analyse the race card, and take a closer look at major runners and market’s favourites to compete in the race.
Ayr Gold Cup 2026 Runners
The most prominent race in Scotland and one of the most awaited ones in Britain, the Ayr Gold Cup forms its field with the highest weighted horses that have entered the competition. It is annually contested by the finest handicap runners led on the tracks by the industry’s most skillful jockeys. The current prize purse is £180,000. With no age restrictions, every runner has multiple chances to participate in the race throughout its racing career in an attempt to win or repeat its previous success.
At the time of publication of this article, the list of runners declared to compete in this season’s Ayr Gold Cup consisted of 25 contenders. Below you will find information on the runners, their trainers and confirmed jockeys.
| Runner | Age/Weight | Jockey | Trainer |
| Spycatcher | 8 9-13 | C Lee | K R Burke |
| Volterra | 5 9-11 | K Stott | K A Ryan |
| Aramram | 5 9-10 | Joe Leavy | R Hannon |
| Tuco Salamanca | 4 9-8 | Marco Ghiani | Ollie Sangster |
| Stratusnine | 4 9-6 | C J Whiteley | H Palmer |
| Two Tribes | 5 9-5 b | D Egan | R Spencer |
| Binhareer | 4 9-5 | Tom Marquand | W J Haggas |
| Wiltshire | 6 9-4 | O J Orr | W J Haggas |
| Rock On Thunder | 3 9-4 | Jack Callan | K A Ryan |
| Flash Harry | 4 9-3 | P Mulrennan | C G Cox |
| Evening Saigon | 4 9-2 | F Bughanaim | H Al Jehani |
| Run Boy Run | 5 9-2 | George Wood | R Spencer |
| Far Above Dream | 4 9-1 | Jason Hart | James Owen |
| Dance In The Storm | 4 9-1 | Oisin Murphy | A M Balding |
| Bodhi Bear | 4 9-1 | S H James | J A Stack |
| Fine Interview | 5 9-1 | James Doyle | H Al Jehani |
| Caburn | 4 9-0 | Dylan Hogan | J Tate |
| Pellitory | 4 9-0 | D Tudhope | D O’Meara |
| Candy | 4 8-13 | Ryan Sexton | R Spencer |
| Fandom | 5 8-13 | Alec Voikhansky | R Hannon |
| Ardisia | 3 8-13 | Warren Fentiman | H Palmer |
| Fahrenheit Seven | 5 8-13 | Oliver Stammers | R M H Cowell |
| Red Spells Danger | 3 8-12 | D Allan | T D Easterby |
| Hammer The Hammer | 4 8-12 | T Eaves | K A Ryan |
| Twilight Calls | 8 8-11 | Saffie Osborne | R Spencer |
Ayr Gold Cup 2026 Betting Odds
In the table below you will find the odds for the runners declared to take part in the Ayr Gold Cup 2026. Please keep in mind that odds are constantly changing before the start of the race. Make sure to check the odds before placing a bet.
| Runner | Odds |
| Spycatcher | 25/1 |
| Volterra | 14/1 |
| Aramram | 40/1 |
| Tuco Salamanca | 16/1 |
| Stratusnine | 14/1 |
| Two Tribes | 18/1 |
| Binhareer | 7/2 |
| Wiltshire | 40/1 |
| Rock On Thunder | 80/1 |
| Flash Harry | 40/1 |
| Evening Saigon | 30/1 |
| Run Boy Run | 20/1 |
| Far Above Dream | 10/3 |
| Dance In The Storm | 13/2 |
| Bodhi Bear | 40/1 |
| Fine Interview | 17/2 |
| Caburn | 35/1 |
| Pellitory | 20/1 |
| Candy | 25/1 |
| Fandom | 100/1 |
| Ardisia | 18/1 |
| Fahrenheit Seven | 150/1 |
| Red Spells Danger | 20/1 |
| Hammer The Hammer | 20/1 |
| Twilight Calls | 14/1 |
Binhareer
- Age: 4 years old
- Sex and colour: grey gelding
- Trainer: William Haggas
- Major achievements: 3 out of 12 wins, including Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap (October 2025) and Start Your Racing TV Free Trial Handicap (July 2025)
- Recent form: 4 – 6 – 2 – 1 – 6
His previous experience at the Ayr Racecourse, among other things, firmly places Binhareer among the favourites. In September 2025 he participated in the Ladbrokes Ayr Silver Cup Handicap and came sixth behind the winner Candy. Earlier the same year he also won the Start Your Racing TV Free Trial Handicap. However, this will be his first time running in the Ayr Gold Cup.
Since the start of the 2026 season, William Haggas’s charge has participated in three races. He placed second behind the winner Dark Thirty in the Churchill Tyres Handicap in May at the York Racecourse. He also placed sixth in the Wokingham Stakes at the Ascot Racecourse during the Royal Ascot week (winner Double Rush) and fourth in the Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes at the Newbury Racecourse in July (winner Symbol Of Honour). In his debut season of 2024 he also won the Racing TV EBF Stallions Novice Stakes at the Redcar Racecourse.
Far Above Dream
- Age: 4 years old
- Sex and colour: bay gelding
- Trainer: James Owen
- Major achievements: 5 out of 16 wins, including Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Handicap (May 2026) and Fitzdares Offers Top Prices At Goodwood Handicap (May 2026)
- Recent form: 2 – 6 – 4 – 1 – 1
Far Above Dream started the 2026 season with two impressive wins. The first one was the Fitzdares Offers Top Prices At Goodwood Handicap at the Goodwood Racecourse, while the other was Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Handicap at the Newbury Racecourse, both in May. His other achievements included the fourth place in the Wokingham Stakes during the Royal Ascot week (winner Double Rush), the sixth place in the Coral Stewards’ Cup at the Glorious Goodwood Festival (winner Evening Saigon), and the second place in the Sky Bet Constantine Handicap during the York Ebor Festival (winner Sondad).
While James Owen’s charge has never run in the Ayr Gold Cup, in his debut season of 2025 he participated in the Ladbrokes Ayr Silver Cup Handicap and came to the finish line fifteenth behind the winner Candy. The same year he got two wins at the Goodwood Racecourse under his belt, one in the Virgin Bet A Good Bet Handicap in September and another in the Virgin Bet Handicap in October.
Twilight Calls
- Age: 8 years old
- Sex and colour: bay gelding
- Trainer: Richard Spencer
- Major achievements: 6 out of 39 wins, including Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap (July 2026) and Debenhams Handicap (July 2026)
- Recent form: 2 – 1 – 1 – 2 – 1
Twilight Calls got his first win of the 2026 season when he came first to the finish line in the Chris Barnett Memorial Handicap at the Sandown Park Racecourse in June. This was followed by second place in the QuinnBet Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap at the Yarmouth Racecourse in the same month. He then went on to win two more races, one being the Debenhams Handicap at the Newmarket July Festival and the other Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap at the Glorious Goodwood Festival. His latest race was the Betfred Portland during the St Leger Festival at the Doncaster Racecourse, where he took second place.
This will be the second time Richard Spencer’s charge runs in the Ayr Gold Cup. He previously took part in the 2025 edition of the race and came to the finish line fourteenth behind the winner Run Boy Run.
Dance In The Storm
- Age: 4 years old
- Sex and colour: bay filly
- Trainer: Andrew Balding
- Major achievements: 4 out of 13 wins, including Disney’s High School Musical At Lowry Handicap (August 2026) and Roodee Handicap (May 2026)
- Recent form: 4 – 1 – 0 – 5 – 1
Dance In The Storm started the 2026 season by winning the Roodee Handicap at the Chester Racecourse in May. She went on to take fifth place in the Debenhams Handicap behind the winner Colombier during the Epsom Derby Festival in June. While she only came 17th to the finish line behind the winner Mezcala in the Buckingham Palace Stakes during the Royal Ascot week, she then won her very next start in the Disney’s High School Musical At Lowry Handicap at the Chester Racecourse in August. Her latest race was Sky Bet Constantine Handicap during the York Ebor Festival where she took fourth place behind the winner Sondad.
Andrew Balding’s charge only ran one race in her debut season of 2024, namely the Betfair EBF ‘Confined’ Novice Stakes at the Chelmsford City Racecourse in November. In 2025 she won two races, the Boost Your Acca At BetMGM Fillies’ Novice Stakes at the Wolverhampton Racecourse in January and the Bet 10 Get 40 With BetMGM Handicap at Sandown Park Racecourse in June. The upcoming race will mark her first appearance both in the Ayr Gold Cup race and on the Ayr Racecourse tracks.
Tuco Salamanca
- Age: 4 years old
- Sex and colour: bay gelding
- Trainer: Ollie Sangster
- Major achievements: 8 out of 20 wins, including Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash (August 2026) and JenningsBet Over 200 Shops Nationwide Handicap (June 2026)
- Recent form: 1 – 0 – 1 – 6 – 1
Tuco Salamanca has won three out of five starts he has run in since the beginning of the 2026 season. Starting with the Virgin Bet A Good Bet Handicap at the Kempton Racecourse in March, he went on to win the JenningsBet Over 200 Shops Nationwide Handicap at the Newcastle Racecourse in June and the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash at the Ascot Racecourse in August. His participation in the Coral Stewards’ Cup during the Glorious Goodwood Festival brought him the fourteenth place behind the winner Evening Saigon.
While Ollie Sangster’s charge is no stranger to the tracks of the Goodwood, Ascot, Newcastle, and York Racecourses, this will be his first appearance not only in the Ayr Gold Cup race but at the Ayr Racecourse too.
Ayr Gold Cup Day 2026 Racecard
The Ayr Gold Cup Day 2026 will be conducted in the third week of September as a part of a three day Ayr Gold Cup Festival. This horse racing fixture will include 7 races. The Ayr Gold Cup runs as the headline race of the entire event.
Ayr Gold Cup Day (19 September)
- When: Saturday, 19 September 2026
- Gate opening: 12:00 pm
- First race: 2:00 pm
- Headline race: 3:40 pm
- Last race: 5:01 pm
The daily race card for the Ayr Gold Cup Day of the Ayr Gold Cup Festival 2026 is as follows:
Going: good to soft (soft in places)
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:20 pm | THE LADBROKES ‘BET £5 GET £30 NEW CUSTOMER OFFER’ HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 1m | 3YO+ £45,000.00 Rating 81-100 |
| 1:55 pm | THE LADBROKES ‘GET RACING BET BUILDER WINNING BOOSTS’ DOONSIDE CUP STAKES (CLASS 1) (Listed Race) (CL 1) | 1m 2f | 3YO+ £60,000.00 |
| 2:30 pm | THE LADBROKES AYR SILVER CUP HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 6f | 3YO+ £65,000.00 |
| 3:05 pm | THE LADBROKES ‘NEW CUSTOMERS GET 50/1 OLD FIRM OFFER’ FIRTH OF CLYDE (CLASS 1) (for the Ayrshire Agricultural Challenge Cup) (Group 3) (CL 1) | 6f | 2YO £75,000.00 |
| 3:40 pm | THE LADBROKES AYR GOLD CUP (CLASS 2 HERITAGE HANDICAP) (CL 2) | 6f | 3YO+ £180,000.00 |
| 4:15 pm | THE BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF NOVICE STAKES (CLASS 2) (GBB RACE) (CL 2) | 7f 50y | 2YO £40,000.00 |
| 4:50 pm | THE JORDAN ELECTRICS HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (CL 4) | 7f 50y | 3YO+ £17,000.00 Rating 61-80 |
Ayr Gold Cup 2026 FAQs
When is the Ayr Gold Cup 2026?
The Ayr Gold Cup 2026 will take place on Saturday, 19 September, the third and last day of the Ayr Gold Cup Festival 2026. It is hosted by the Ayr Racecourse.
How many runners are there?
The number of runners keeps changing until the start of the race. At the moment of publication of this article, there were 25 declared runners in the race.
Who is the favourite?
Favourites can change until the start of the race, depending on withdrawals. At the moment of publication of this article, the current top five favourites are Binhareer, Far Above Dream, Twilight Calls, Dance In The Storm, and Tuco Salamanca.
What are the latest Ayr Gold Cup odds?
You can find the latest Ayr Gold Cup odds on all major bookmaking platforms that offer horse racing betting markets. You will find detailed betting odds offered by 7bet on our website.
Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org