Ayr Gold Cup Runs Saturday

There are some genuinely impressive prices on offer tomorrow for the big handicap at Ayr racecourse as the latest iteration of the Ayr Gold Cup is set to unfold. No contender in the race trades below a double-digit margin at the time of this writing, though punters are advised to keep their eyes firmly-fixed on Hawkeyethenoo and Pepper Lane, who continue to jockey for the favourites position.

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Hawkeyethenoo, easily one of the most popular handicap contenders amongst the betting public, had a tough beat last time out in July after starting the season rather brightly in his first two efforts. He was sent off as the 6/1 favourite despite finishing a distant 16th. He also has the benefit of being well-weighted for this one with a 9-5 assignment putting him well in the mix.

Pepper Lane is expected to provide the chief competition and the four-year-old daughter of Exceed and Excel looks to grab her fourth victory on the bounce this season. She has been holding court at Ripon and has been putting smiles on punters faces by delivering a string of victories at outsized prices. She has demonstrated some tactical speed in the past and will be looking to push forward with a similar type of trip.

Eton Rifles, a six-year-old son of Pivotal, notched his first Heritage Handicap victory of the season a few weeks back at Goodwood against a tricky field of 15. Look for him to sit just off the pace and deploy that rapid turn of foot that has served him well in the past. It's also important to remember that this is only his fifth start of the season while many of the others on offer here have had lengthy campaigns. He has been looking a bit better in his past two and should rebound from his third-place finish at Ascot.

Colonel Max enters the race fresh off a score at Ffos Las in handicap company though it was only against a field of 9. Punters look to be giving him some attention, however, with a price floating around 14/1.

Expect a tough slog over 6f with the ground listed as good to soft. If rain comes down overnight then the yielding turf may open things up for the longer odds selections.