VCBet on the Ayr Gold Cup

Sprint king David Nicholls who has won four of the last five runnings of the Ayr Gold Cup goes into battle with a team of eight in the twenty eight runner line-up for Europe's richest sprint handicap. Funfair Wane, successful in 2002 and 2004, Continent who scored at 10-1 in 2001, Pieter Brueghel, Merlin's Dancer, Primus Inter Pares and Peace Offering all made the cut and will be joined by recent Nicholls' inmates Just James and Traytonic. Clive Cox's Out After Dark is VC Bet's 8-1 favourite to complete the Portland Handicap - Ayr Gold Cup double and his 5lb penalty for winning at Doncaster will be offset by 17-year-old claimer Adam Kirby who rode the horse to victory at Doncaster last week. VC Bet's Richard Monahan sounded a cautionary note about the favourite's chance "The only two winners in the last decade to have run in the Portland and gone on to win the Ayr Gold Cup were Funfair Wane and Quito in the last two years. However they were not lumbered with a penalty and over thirty horses have carried additional burdens in the last ten years and only Wildwood Flower in 1997 proved successful. Out After Dark has been favourably drawn in stall 25 but his weight could prove a problem as only Coastal Bluff who won with 9st 10lbs in 1996 has carried more to victory in the last ten years". VC Bet 8 Out After Dark 10 Fonthill Road 10 Continent 12 Traytonic 12 Fantasy Believer 16 Presto Shinko 16 Peace Offering 16 Khabfair 16 Fictional 16 Majestic Times 16 Bygone Days 20 Partners In Jazz 20 Pieter Brueghel 20 River Falcon 25 Chookie Heiton 25 Merlin's Dancer 25 Funfair Wane 25 Sierra Vista 33 Intoxicating 33 Just James 33 Talbot Avenue 33 Philharmonic 33 Coleorton Dancer 33 Yomalo 33 Connect 33 Capricho 33 Primus Inter Pares 40 Dance Night Each Way 1/4 odds 1-2-3-4 all quoted, non runner no bet Rule 4 may apply