Ayr Horse Racing Tips: NAP of the Day For Local Yard & Friday’s Best Bets

The Ayr Gold Cup Festival is Scotland’s biggest Flat racing festival and takes place across three days at Ayr Racecourse this week.

The meeting culminates with the Ayr Gold Cup on Saturday, regarded as one of the finest sprint handicaps in Europe. Our horse racing betting tipster Steven Mullington takes a look through the full Friday card:

1.20 – 7f Fillies’ Nursery Handicap 

MOTOWN FILLY has shown consistency this season, hitting the frame on two of her three career starts, including a runner-up finish at Windsor.

Hot on the heels of a nursey handicap winner for Phil Cunningham at Doncaster last week, Saffie Osborne can bring this two-year-old home in front too.

1.55 – 6f Nursery Handicap 

Handed a hefty weight of 9st 9lb, DONTLOOKANYFURTHER has shown excellent progression this year and should be able to handle her lofty pole position.

If she runs anything like she did over this trip at Thirsk then she’ll be hard to beat and is a solid price in our sports betting.

2.30 – 5f Harry Rosebery Stakes (Listed) 

HICKORY LAD already has a pair of victories under his belt this season and ran a highly creditable race last time out.

His early tactical gears should see him to good effect in a field this size and he is a solid each-way prospect in our market for the race.

3.05 – 5½f Fillies’ Stakes (Listed) 

LINA A INBHIR NIS (NAP) is fascinating local contender here from a shrewd Scottish yard, given their exploits at Longchamp last weekend.

If the ground is fairly testing, her stamina will become a major weapon down the Ayr home straight.

3.40 – 6f Ayr Bronze Cup Handicap 

Tips coming soon…

4.15 – 1m Handicap

The Tim Easterby-trained THAT’S MY BOY LUKE (NB) heads to Scotland in excellent form, regularly hitting the frame in recent runs.

The five-year-old has finished the bridesmaid in his last two runs over a mile at Musselburgh and I’m sure this ease in the ground will suit him at Ayr.

4.45 – 1m Handicap

It well turn out an afternoon to remember for the Macleod family as their other runner LITTLE TED holds a great chance in this Class 5 handicap off bottom weight.

I was personally at Ripon where a couple of runs ago he placed a decent fourth in a 1m2f affair. I was of the view that day that a drop back to a mile would be more his distance, so here we are.

5.20 – 1m5f Handicap 

Richard Fahey’s MR MOONSHINE has bagged a useful low draw (3) and remains a massive threat if he handles the step up to this longer distance.

A winner last time over 1m4f at Southwell, you would like to think the progressive three-year-old can step up his efforts again.

*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*