Ayr Gold Cup report and replay: Bielsa lands valuable sprint
By Sporting Life
17:56 · SAT September 18, 2021
Bielsa did things his own way in the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup and it paid dividends as he denied the well backed favourite Great Ambassador.
There was a group in the middle of the course and the group on the far side of the track and just one horse hard up against the stands' side rail.
That horse was Bielsa (15/2) and trainer Kevin Ryan - who was winning the race for a fifth time - revealed that it was always the plan to run solo from his draw.
“I spoke to Alistair Donald (racing manager for winning owners King Power Racing) this morning and said ‘we’re on the rail, it’s fresh ground, and he likes to go that way anyway’," he told ITV Racing.
“It’s great to train a winner like this for King Power. They’ve been very patient with this horse and I’m chuffed really.
“He’s a very talented horse. It just hasn’t happened this year. Things go wrong and you get little niggles, but that’s what gets you an Ayr Gold Cup – they generally get there fresh and well.
“We’ve won four Ayr Gold Cups and you wonder if you’re going to win another one.
“They were all Group horses and this horse is a Group horse.”
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Bielsa was not the only runner in the field with group race aspirations as Ed Walker had made no secret that he expects 3/1 favourite Great Ambassador to be plying his trade in pattern races next season.
His four-year-old burst clear of the chasing pack on the far side of the course but he had no answer to Ryan's masterplan and Bielsa and was over two lengths adrift at the line.
Mr Wagyu's terrific season continued with a fine run in third, with Motagally fourth and Value Bet selection Edraak picking up the extra place each-way money in fifth at 33/1.
Winning rider Kevin Stott told Racing TV: "It was the plan to go straight up that rail, it was fresh ground up there.
"Just getting him into the right rhythm is the key to this horse and when I asked him to go inside the two, he went and he did it very nicely. I was very happy with him throughout and everything went right.
"It was a bit hard to judge (whether I was in front) but coming up towards the line I did have a little look across to see. All credit to the horse, he deserved a big one."
It was a fifth success for Stott aboard Bielsa but there was some fortune in Stott being on board today.
"When he was sold I was a little bit gutted knowing that Silvestre (de Sousa) is first jockey (to the owners). Lucky enough I was on him today and he's a brilliant horse for the yard, every time he runs I always cheer him on obviously.
"He's such a gentle horse and everyone loves him at home, he's very easy.
"The win means a lot and means a lot more because it's a race that Kevin holds in very high regard. Luckily enough I can say now that I've won an Ayr Gold Cup and hopefully it won't be the last."
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