The Ayr Gold Cup Festival is Scotland’s most valuable flat meeting, taking place over three days in September the week following the St Leger fixture at Doncaster.
The festival starts on Thursday, with the Gold Cup itself running on the final day on Saturday. With a prize fund of £180,000, this 6f sprint handicap is one of the most valuable of its type in Europe. Despite a maximum field of 25 there are two consolation races for the Gold Cup with the Silver Cup and Bronze Cup run over the same conditions.
Other highlights include the Firth Of Clyde Stakes which Scotland’s only Group race, and three Listed races in the Harry Rosebery Stakes, Scottish Sprint Fillies’ Stakes and the Doonside Cup.
Thursday 17th September 2026
The Ayr Gold Cup meeting opens with a 1m novice stakes race for two-year olds and a 5f sprint handicap before a 1m2f handicap for fillies.
The most valuable race of the day is, the class 2 Kilkerran Handicap over 1m2f. This is followed by two 1m handicaps, a 7f handicap and the class 3 Tennent’s Lager Handicap over 1m5f.
- 1:30pm: Almins Vantage/Lallemand Magniva Classic EBF Novice Stakes
Class 3, 1m, 2yo, £12,000 - 2:00pm: Brandinghub For Signs & Graphics Handicap
Class 5, 5f, 3yo+, £9,000 - 2:30pm: British Stallion Studs Scottish Premier Series EBF Fillies’ Handicap
Class 4, 1m2f, 3yo+, £17,000 - 3:00pm: Ladbrokes ‘Bet £5 Get £30 New Customer Offer’ Kilkerran Handicap
Class 2, 1m2f, 3yo+, £35,000 - 3:30pm: IDP Supporting Care Through Better Purchasing Handicap (Div I)
Class 5, 1m, 3yo+, £9,000 - 4:00pm: IDP Supporting Care Through Better Purchasing Handicap (Div II)
Class 5, 1m, 3yo+, £9,000 - 4:30pm: Ladbrokes ‘Get Racing Bet Builder Winnings Boosts’ Handicap
Class 6, 7f, 3yo+, £8,000 - 5:01: Tennent’s Lager Handicap
Class 3, 1m5f, 3yo+, £16,000
Friday 18th September 2026, Ladies Day
The middle day of the festival is Ladies Day with the action on the track starting with two nursery handicaps before two valuable Listed contests in the 5f Harry Rosebery Stakes for two-year-olds and the Scottish Sprint Fillies’ Stakes over 5½f.
Next on the card is the consolation race for the Silver Cup, the Bronze Cup, which is run over the same 6f distance. Day two closes with two 1m handicaps and the 1m5f Slater Menswear Handicap.
- 1:20pm: Ladbrokes ‘Bet £5 Get £30 New Customer Offer’ Fillies’ Nursery Handicap
Class 4, 7f, 2yo, £15,000 - 1:55pm: Get Home Safe With Thistle Cabs EBF Nursery Handicap
Class 2, 6f, 2yo, £18,000 - 2:30pm: British EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes
Listed, 5f, 2yo, £55,500 - 3:05pm: Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies’ Stakes
Listed, 5½f, 3yo+, £70,000 - 3:40pm: Ladbrokes Ayr Bronze Cup Handicap
Class 2, 6f, 3yo+, £40,000 - 4:15pm: Zenith Ltd Building Partnerships That Last Handicap (Div I)
Class 5, 1m, 3yo+, £9,000 - 4:45pm: Zenith Ltd Building Partnerships That Last Handicap (Div II)
Class 5, 1m, 3yo+, £9,000 - 5:20: Slater Menswear Handicap
Class 5, 1m5f, 3yo+, £9,000
Saturday 19th September 2026, Ayr Gold Cup Day
The final day begins with a 1m handicap ahead of the Listed Doonside Cup over 1m2f and the Ayr Silver Cup, the consolation race for the Gold Cup. The Group 3 Firth Of Clyde for two-year-olds is next before the big race of the week, the Ayr Gold Cup itself. This £180k Class 2 handicap regularly sees the maximum field of 25 compete over the 6f sprint distance.
A 7f novices stakes race and a 7f handicap bring the meeting to a close.
- 1:20pm: Ladbrokes “Bet £5 Get £30 New Customer Offer” Handicap
Class 2, 1m, 3yo+, £45,000 - 1:55pm: Ladbrokes “Get Racing Bet Builder Winnings Boosts” Doonside Cup Stakes
Listed, 1m2f, 3yo+, £60,000 - 2:30pm: Ladbrokes Ayr Silver Cup Handicap
Class 2, 6f, 3yo+, £65,000 - 3:05pm: Ladbrokes “New Customers Get 50/1 Old Firm Offer” Firth Of Clyde
Group 3, 6f, 2yo, £75,000 - 3:340pm: Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup
Class 2, 6f, 3yo+, £180,000 - 4:15pm: British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes
Class 2, 7f, 2yo, £40,000 - 4:50pm: Jordan Electrics Handicap
Class 4, 7f, 3yo+, £17,000
