Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup preview: Auld Toon Loon to shine

- Virgin Bet sponsors the Ayr Gold Cup Festival from Thursday-Saturday
- There are eight races on  day one from 1.20pm-5.17pm including the Kilkerran Handicap
- Recommended bets: 
- Volterra to win 1.20
- Sisyphean to win 1.50pm
- Wee Fat Mac to win  2.25pm
- Auld Toon Loon to win 3.00pm
- Alpha Female to win 3.35pm
- Hale End to win 4.10pm
- Jkr Cobbler to win 4.45pm
- Highfield Viking to win 5.17pm

Three days of quality action lie in store in Scotland as the Ayr Gold Cup meeting kicks off on Thursday afternoon.

The day one feature race is the Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily Kilkerran Handicap over one-mile-and-two-furlongs at 3:00pm.

We will have daily previews for all three days of the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup Festival, starting with Thursday's eight-race card which runs from 1.20pm-5.17pm.

Trainer Kevin Ryan typically targets this race, winning it in the last two years, and it is not hard to envisage a third successive win coming via VOLTERRA.

The colt was a 25/1 poke in his debut last month at York in the Convivial Maiden – routinely a hot contest – and finished a fine fourth, splitting a pair of next time out winners.

Racing Post selection: Volterra

Offer And Receive made a winning debut at Hamilton last month and is entitled to progress now for Karl Burke, but a 7lb penalty makes things much more demanding.

Instead, it is once more to Kevin Ryan and that York form we look. SISYPHEAN was a mere neck behind his stablemate Volterra on the Knavesmire and he is taking a drop in grade now with improvement very likely.

Racing Post selection: Sisyphean 

WEE FAT MAC was a winner over course and distance last month and continues to go well for Iain Jardine.

He was beaten in a photo-finish at Carlisle (5f, good) a fortnight ago under Andrew Mullen and should be in the mix again. Sir Maxi and Ben Macdui are on the extended shortlist.

Racing Post selection: Wee Fat Mac 

The feature on day one of the meeting and it is great to see stalwarts like Euchen Glen in the mix. He has top-weight to burden, however, and, while the consistent What's The Story looks likely to go well, he is another veteran and so the nod goes to AULD TOON LOON for David O'Meara.

The 4YO has turf wins at Lingfield and Chester this season and, while well beaten in an apprentice event at Sandown last month, he has Danny Tudhope back in harness now and could be a lively outsider.

Racing Post selection: Auld Toon Loon

Fiver Friday essentially took advantage of a good deal of the cards when getting weight from inferior rivals in a maiden at Musselburgh last month and she has much more on her plate now.

ALPHA FEMALE improved when second at Kempton last week over 1m3f and Ed De Giles' lightly-raced filly has to be in the mix from an unchanged mark.

Racing Post selection: Alpha Female 

Tobetso has run two good races since joining Declan Carroll from William Haggas, including a win at Ripon recently, and is respected, but HALE END rattled the crossbar at Beverley last time and the Mehmas gelding is only rated 1lb higher now.

He has been in a consistent run of good form and should continue that now.

Racing Post selection: Hale End 

JKR COBBLER is bidding for a four-timer over this course and distance and may well get it.

Iain Jardine's thriving gelding was always in command of things when he brought up a quick hat-trick here early last month and the six-week break since should allow him every chance to carry on his winning spree, having been freshened up since.

Racing Post selection: Jkr Cobbler 

A tough finale in which Rory, Monhammer and Rwenearlytheredad are all respected, but HIGHFIELD VIKING was a soft-ground 6f Doncaster winner in April and has held his form in four starts since.

He was touched off over this trip at Catterick recently and any easing of the ground will strengthen his claims from an unchanged mark.

Racing Post selection: Highfield Viking