Binhareer Heads 25-Runner Charge for the Ayr Gold Cup

The Ayr Gold Cup has long been one of the great puzzles of the British Flat season, and Saturday's £180,000 renewal looks every bit as difficult as usual. Twenty-five sprinters will thunder down Ayr's straight six furlongs, ranging from 111-rated topweight Spycatcher to horses towards the foot of the handicap carrying more than a stone less.

At the centre of the market is Binhareer, William Haggas' four-year-old who returns to a track where he has already won over course and distance. But this is a race packed with familiar big-handicap names, including last year's winner Run Boy Run, Stewards' Cup winner Evening Saigon, the hugely consistent Far Above Dream and the progressive Tuco Salamanca.

There is also a particularly good story at the bottom of the field. Twilight Calls only just made the cut as the 25th and final runner and will be ridden by Saffie Osborne, fresh from becoming the first female jockey to win a British Classic aboard Highwayman in last weekend's St Leger.

Binhareer Heads the Market

Binhareer (William Haggas; Tom Marquand) has been the horse to beat in the market and is around 5-1 favourite. He finished sixth when favourite for the Wokingham at Royal Ascot in June before taking fourth behind Symbol Of Honour in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury, and now drops back into handicap company from a mark of 103.

The attraction is obvious. Binhareer is still relatively lightly raced for a four-year-old sprinter, has already won over course and distance and carries 9st 5lb rather than one of the crushing weights towards the top of the handicap. Haggas also knows exactly what is required to win this race, while Marquand was successful aboard Nahaarr in 2020. Drawn in stall two, however, Binhareer will need the pace to develop on his side of the track in a race where the draw can quickly become as important as the formbook.

Far Above Dream Has Been Knocking on the Door

Few horses deserve a major sprint handicap more than Far Above Dream (James Owen; Jason Hart). His recent record in these races is remarkably consistent: fourth in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, sixth in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood and then beaten just a nose by Sondad at York last month.

That York performance is particularly significant because it came on good to soft ground, conditions similar to those currently expected at Ayr. Far Above Dream races from 9st 1lb and remains on a workable mark despite repeatedly showing that he can compete in the strongest sprint handicaps. In a race full of horses who need to bounce back to their best, his reliability is a major attraction.

Tuco Salamanca (Ollie Sangster; Marco Ghiani) is another serious contender. He has won three of his last five starts and arrives after another victory on his latest appearance, although a mark of 106 means he now has 9st 8lb to carry. Dance In The Storm (Andrew Balding; Oisin Murphy) is also prominent in the market after finishing fourth at Doncaster last weekend and represents a combination that always commands respect in valuable handicaps.

Can Run Boy Run Do It Again?

Perhaps the most remarkable result would come from Run Boy Run (Richard Spencer; George Wood), who returns to defend the race he won 12 months ago. No horse has completed back-to-back Ayr Gold Cup victories since Heronslea in 1930 and 1931, meaning success would end a 95-year wait for a dual winner in successive seasons.

His recent form is hardly compelling, but that is reflected in his price and he returns to a race, course and distance at which everything fell into place last year. Trainer Richard Spencer has again targeted the meeting strongly and also saddles Two Tribes and Twilight Calls, giving him three chances of retaining the trophy.

Another horse with major handicap form is Evening Saigon (Hamad Al Jehani; Faleh Bughenaim), winner of the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood last month. That alone demands respect in another cavalry-charge sprint, although his subsequent fifth at York means he needs to rediscover the level he showed at Goodwood.

Saffie and Twilight Calls Chase Another Big Saturday

One of the most intriguing horses in the field is right at the bottom of the weights. Twilight Calls (Richard Spencer; Saffie Osborne) needed four horses above him to come out at the declaration stage simply to make the race, and that is exactly what happened, leaving him as the final runner in the 25-strong field.

At eight years old he is hardly the conventional profile for an improving Ayr Gold Cup winner, but his recent form suggests otherwise. Twilight Calls won at Newmarket in July, followed up at Glorious Goodwood and was then second in the Portland Handicap at Doncaster only last weekend. Osborne felt she committed for home too soon there and now gets another opportunity from just 8st 11lb.

The jockey story adds another dimension. Osborne made history at Doncaster last Saturday when Highwayman gave her the St Leger, becoming the first female jockey to win a British Classic. Seven days later she has the chance to become the first woman to ride the winner of Scotland's richest Flat race.

Plenty More with a Chance

The nature of the Ayr Gold Cup means concentrating only on the favourites is dangerous. Stratusnine (Hugo Palmer; Conor Whiteley) has already won over course and distance, while Two Tribes (Richard Spencer; David Egan) has repeatedly shown himself capable in valuable sprint handicaps.

At the top of the weights, Spycatcher (Karl Burke; Clifford Lee) is the class horse of the field off a rating of 111, although 9st 13lb makes his task considerably harder. Aramram (Richard Hannon; Joe Leavy) and Volterra (Kevin Ryan; Kevin Stott) are other established performers with the ability to become involved if returning to their best.

The biggest complication is that a 25-runner sprint can make a mockery of even the strongest form. Ayr's field can split into separate groups, and being drawn near the eventual pace can prove decisive. The current good-to-soft ground and possibility of further showers add another variable to a race that rarely needs any help becoming difficult.

The Verdict

Binhareer deserves his place at the head of the market. He is relatively unexposed compared with many of these, has course-and-distance form and drops back into handicap company after competing at Group level. If the low numbers are where the race develops, Tom Marquand should have a major chance.

But Far Above Dream makes plenty of appeal after three excellent efforts in the season's strongest six-furlong handicaps. He was fourth in the Wokingham, sixth in the Stewards' Cup and missed out by only a nose at York, while the expected easier ground holds no fears. He looks particularly well suited to another fiercely competitive six-furlong test.

Twilight Calls is harder to ignore at a bigger price. He comes here in excellent form, carries only 8st 11lb and his Portland second suggests the eight-year-old retains plenty of enthusiasm for the job. After last weekend at Doncaster, few would entirely rule out Osborne producing another memorable Saturday.