THE PRESTIGIOUS Ayr Gold Cup Day has been abandoned for the first time in “living memory”.

Racing at Ayr tomorrow – William Hill Ayr Gold Cup Day - has been abandoned following an early morning inspection by Chris Dennis, BHA Northern Course Inspector, PJ McDonald, the Northern Jockey Safety Officer and Ayr Racecourse officials.

This is the first time there has been no race since the end of World War II.

Although there has been marginal improvement in the area affected two and a half furlongs out, it was clear to them that there was no option but to abandon the remainder of the meeting.

An inspection originally planned for noon today, was brought forward because officials decided the track wouldn’t be fit for racing tomorrow and wanted to let trainers travelling from Lambourn and Newmarket and other parts of southern England know in time to save them travelling.

The track was perfectly raceable on Wednesday but 17mm of rainfall on Wednesday evening into Thursday morning led to this problem.

There is also further rain forecast today.

An unprecedented total of seven inches of rain had fallen at Ayr in the past five weeks.

Work will start immediately to determine whether there is an underlining problem at the two and a half furlong marker.

Ayr Racecourse Managing Director David Brown said everyone at the track was “devastated” at losing the three-day William Hill Ayr Gold Cup Festival.

He said: “Everyone on the Ayr Racecourse team is devastated to lose Scotland’s biggest Flat meeting. Unfortunately, after the unprecedented levels of rain that fell at the track we had no option but to abandon.

“This not only has an effect on everyone at the track but throughout the racing industry and also to the area where this Festival is one of the busiest weekends of the year.”

Iain Ferguson, on behalf of Ayr Racecourse, added: “This is the first time it has been abandoned in living memory.

“We don’t know the specifics yet other than the amount of rainfall that we have had but the water table is particularly high – it is the highest it has ever been.”

More reaction and news in next weeks issue.