You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2027 Ayr Gold Cup Preview
The Ayr Gold Cup has plenty of history, with the inaugural running in 1804, staged over six furlongs and open to three-year-olds and upwards, and it usually follows on a week or so after the six-furlong Portland Handicap at Doncaster's St Leger meeting.
There is a consolation race for those who do not make it into the Gold Cup; the Ayr Silver Cup is run on the day, whilst on the day prior, there is also the Ayr Bronze Cup for those who don't even make it into the Silver Cup!
Funfair Wane won the Ayr Gold Cup in 2002 and 2004, but to find the last back-to-back winner, we have to go back to Heronslea in 1930-31. The 2018 renewal saw the first dead heat in its history, with Baron Bolt and Son Of Rest sharing the spoils, whilst the 2017 renewal was staged at Haydock due to the track at Ayr being waterlogged.
Out of the big sprint handicaps
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Ayr Gold Cup Information:
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Ayr tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG expert racing tipsters to find yourself a bet? You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Ayr Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026 (UKGC Regulated)
How competitive is the Ayr Gold Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2017, when the race had an over-round of 129%. The race in 2026 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 150%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Ayr Gold Cup, the over-round has been 139%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £139 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 Ayr Gold Cup Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Ayr Gold Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Ayr Gold Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Lethal Levi (1:07.75) in 2024
- Angel Alexander (1:09.26) in 2019
- Louis The Pious (1:09.53) in 2014
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Ayr Gold Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -9.50. Before placing your bet on the 2027 Ayr Gold Cup, see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2017 renewal when Donjuan Triumphant from Andrew Balding under the guidance of P J McDonald, won in a time of 1:17.10, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Lethal Levi, trained by K R Burke and ridden by Clifford Lee set the quickest time of 1:07.75 in the 2024 renewal.
Ayr Gold Cup Past Winners
Here are the Ayr Gold Cup past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. Also detailed are the stall from which the horse came and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Ayr Gold Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 1:16.00 | Pellitory (GB) 4yo 9-0 (16 of 24) 12/1 | Daniel Tudhope David O'Meara (GB) |
| 2025 1:12.52 | Run Boy Run (GB) 4yo 9-2 (6 of 25) 12/1 | George Wood Richard Spencer (GB) |
| 2024 1:07.75 | Lethal Levi (GB) 5yo 9-7 (20 of 25) 20/1 | Clifford Lee K R Burke (GB) |
| 2023 1:10.77 | Significantly (GB) 5yo 9-2 (14 of 24) 8/1F | Joe Fanning Julie Camacho (GB) |
| 2022 1:10.82 | Summerghand (IRE) 8yo 9-5 (12 of 24) 12/1 | Daniel Tudhope David O'Meara (GB) |
| 2021 1:10.03 | Bielsa (IRE) 6yo 9-1 (25 of 24) 15/2 | Kevin Stott Kevin Ryan (GB) |
| 2020 1:11.65 | Nahaarr (IRE) 4yo 9-5 (13 of 24) 7/2F | Tom Marquand William Haggas (GB) |
| 2019 1:09.26 | Angel Alexander (IRE) 3yo 8-13 (24 of 24) 28/1 | Richard Kingscote Tom Dascombe (GB) |
| 2018 1:14.77 | Son Of Rest (GB) 4yo 9-3 (17 of 25) 5/1F | Chris Hayes J A Stack (IRE) |
| 2018 1:14.77 | Baron Bolt (GB) 5yo 8-12 (21 of 25) 28/1 | Cameron Noble (5lbs) Paul Cole (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Ayr Gold Cup have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 57 placings from 481 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 2 placings from 13 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
- AUS: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2026 Ayr Gold Cup Replay
Ayr Gold Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Ayr Gold Cup over the last 20 renewals is Kevin Ryan, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Advanced (2007), Our Jonathan (2011), Captain Ramius (2012), Brando (2016) and Bielsa (2021). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Ayr Gold Cup are David O'Meara (3 wins) and Andrew Balding (2 wins). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Ayr Gold Cup. Michael Dods (0-20), David Barron (0-18), Jim Goldie (0-18) and Tim Easterby (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top Ayr Gold Cup trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Ryan | 61-5-6 | +9.50 | -13.67 |
| David O'Meara | 29-3-6 | +8.00 | +2.26 |
| Andrew Balding | 14-2-3 | +14.50 | +5.69 |
| Richard Fahey | 53-1-10 | -46.00 | -25.99 |
| K R Burke | 12-1-4 | +9.00 | +17.25 |
| Clive Cox | 8-1-2 | +7.00 | +5.75 |
| Richard Spencer | 8-1-2 | +5.00 | +3.25 |
| William Haggas | 8-1-2 | -3.50 | -2.31 |
| Tom Dascombe | 5-1-1 | +24.00 | +13.50 |
| Julie Camacho | 4-1-2 | +5.00 | +3.50 |
Ayr Gold Cup Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Ayr Gold Cup over the last 20 renewals is Daniel Tudhope, who has won the race twice, with those two wins coming from Summerghand (2022) and Pellitory (2026). Two jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Ayr Gold Cup: Paul Mulrennan has ridden 14 runners in the race without recording any wins, whilst David Allan has ridden 11 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Ayr Gold Cup jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Tudhope | 17-2-3 | +9.00 | +3.63 |
| Tom Eaves | 16-1-2 | -4.00 | -5.12 |
| P J McDonald | 9-1-2 | -1.50 | -1.19 |
| Tony Hamilton | 9-1-3 | -2.00 | +2.25 |
| Kevin Stott | 8-1-1 | +0.50 | -2.31 |
| Richard Kingscote | 6-1-2 | +23.00 | +13.37 |
| Oisin Murphy | 5-1-2 | +16.00 | +9.63 |
| Clifford Lee | 5-1-1 | +16.00 | +8.50 |
| Franny Norton | 4-1-1 | +8.00 | +3.88 |
| Jamie Spencer | 3-1-1 | +18.00 | +10.50 |
2027 Ayr Gold Cup Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 19, 13, 4, 5, 2, 3, 23, 3, 1, 2, 12, 1, 17, 1, 2, 20, (1, 11), 16, 4, (9, 11)
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 21 / 21 (65%) - Achieved an RPR of 93+ (LTO)
- 21 / 21 (70%) - No bigger than 28/1
- 21 / 21 (73%) - Break of 6 - 126 days (Last Place)
- 21 / 21 (78%) - Achieved a TS of 60+ (LTO)
- 21 / 21 (81%) - Achieved an RPR of 99+ (Last 3)
- 21 / 21 (81%) - Achieved a TS of 77+ (Last 3)
- 21 / 21 (82%) - Ran in 4 - 10 races (Season)
- 21 / 21 (82%) - Within the first 19 of the market
- 21 / 21 (84%) - Ran in 2 - 8 races (180 Days)
- 21 / 21 (85%) - Achieved a TS of 91+ (Career)
- 21 / 21 (85%) - Highest Run is not G2
- 21 / 21 (85%) - Not in a G1-2/LST/Cl5 (Last Win)
- 21 / 21 (86%) - Beaten no more -9½l (LTO)
- 21 / 21 (86%) - Achieved a TS of 72+ (Last Win)
- 21 / 21 (87%) - Off a break of 6 - 50 days
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Ayr racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Ayr Gold Cup. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Ayr Gold Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
2027 Ayr Gold Cup Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2027 renewal of the Ayr Gold Cup will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually made 48 hours before the race.
Ayr Gold Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +73.50, is when runners ran over 7f when last winning.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a highest class run of Class 1 (G2); when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-75.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2026: Winner in 16 (12,21,25) [24 Runners]
- 2025: Winner in 6 (5,14,2) [25 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 20 (19,24,13) [25 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 14 (12,8,13) [24 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 12 (9,18,13) [24 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Ayr Gold Cup is Goodwood; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Goodwood last time out. The next best courses, which have produced the second most winners, are Doncaster and Ripon; there have been a total of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 21 winners from a total of 477 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 19 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Ayr Gold Cup:
- Pivotal (3 Wins)
- Dark Angel (2 Wins)
- Invincible Spirit (2 Wins)
- Kheleyf (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Ayr Gold Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Oasis Dream (0 Wins from 17 runners)
- Acclamation (0 Wins from 15 runners)
- Clodovil (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Indian Ridge (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Kodiac (0 Wins from 8 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Baron Bolt in 2018, winning for Paul Cole at odds of 28/1 under the guidance of Cameron Noble. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2027 Ayr Gold Cup.
Route to the Ayr Gold Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Ayr Gold Cup. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Pellitory Goodwood - 3rd of 11 (11/1) | Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Handicap |
| 2025 - Run Boy Run Doncaster - 4th of 21 (13/2) | Portland Heritage Handicap |
| 2024 - Lethal Levi Newbury - 1st of 11 (15/2) | TPT Fire Handicap |
| 2023 - Significantly Doncaster - 2nd of 22 (12/1) | Portland Heritage Handicap |
| 2022 - Summerghand Newmarket (July) - 5th of 9 (9/2) | Jenningsbet Hopeful Stakes |
| 2021 - Bielsa Goodwood - 6th of 24 (9/1) | Stewards Cup |
| 2020 - Nahaarr Goodwood - 9th of 27 (3/1) | Stewards Cup |
| 2019 - Angel Alexander Chester - 3rd of 11 (7/2) | ESL Group Handicap |
| 2018 - Son Of Rest Curragh - 2nd of 9 (23/1) | Flying Five Stakes |
| 2018 - Baron Bolt Goodwood - 1st of 12 (8/1) | Chelsea Barracks Handicap |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Ayr Gold Cup Preview are Andy and James. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for Flat racing.
About the author
About the author and editor
