ONE of the highlights of the Flat season at Ayr arrives on Saturday as a top-class field take on the Ayr Gold Cup. 

The big race of Saturday’s eight-race card is off at 3.35pm and a full complement of 25 runners are all set to line up at the start to tackle the six furlong sprint trip down the Ayr straight. 

Read below to find a full race preview of the Ayr Gold Cup courtesy of Grosvenor Sport, as well as comments from Sky Sports Racing presenter Callum Helliwell, who gives his tip for the big race. 

A whopping £92,772 is up for grabs to the winner of the Ayr Gold Cup this year, which is now worth £180,000 in total. Trainer Richard Fahey has won this race twice and he has last year’s runner up, Ramazan, back for another crack this year but it is a Scottish-trained runner that has been backed to scoop the top prize. 

The Jim Goldie-trained American Affair was a strong winner of the Portland Cup at Doncaster last weekend, rallying from being hampered two furlongs from home to get up and land the class two contest and Sky Sports Racing’s Callum Helliwell believes the four-year-old is the one to beat heading north of the border. 

He said: “This is one of my favourite handicaps of the year. I think the race favourite American Affair has a massive, massive chance.

"He was very good last time out when winning the Portland Cup at Doncaster, coming with a withering late run and did it very well indeed.

"I am convinced you need to have a horse that can win Group-level races to win the Ayr Gold Cup and American Affair can be very dangerous. 

“He only faces a 5lb penalty for that win at Doncaster and he won that race a week or so ago with plenty in hand.

"Jim Goldie won’t be there as he is having a hip operation but with jockey Paul Mulrennan on board, he will give this thing a belting ride. 

“If I was looking for an each-way play then Pilgrim for trainer David Barron is coming from widest of all in stall 25 but don’t be concerned about that at all, high draws have a good record in this race and he is a big each-way player. 

“The great thing about him is that his win in the Palace of Holyrood at Royal Ascot was a very good performance and I am convinced his run last time out was just an anomaly. With a rating of 100, he is certainly in the mould of an Ayr Gold Cup winner.”

Mostabshir, from the high-powered John and Thady Gosden, yard, cannot be discounted here having been a decent fourth in the Stewards Cup last time out at Goodwood and has been eased 1lb in the weights, while smart sprinter Rohaan can also make his presence felt having caught the eye when third at Ascot three weeks ago.

Ayr Gold Cup selection - American Affair