Arapaho Gold and French Duke (red cap) run this weekend

Weekend panel including tips for Ayr and Newbury

Horse Racing

Thu September 17, 2026 · 21 min ago

Andrew Asquith, David Ord and John Ingles discuss this weekend's action including the Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup.

Who tops your early shortlist for the Ayr Gold Cup?

Andrew Asquith: DANCE IN THE STORM is a progressive filly who has long since shaped like a horse who will be well suited by a strongly-run six furlongs and she remains at the right side of the handicap. She did incredibly well to win in the manner she did at Chester two starts ago and they probably didn’t go fast enough for her over this trip at York last time. That shouldn’t be an issue in this field and this strong-travelling type will be well suited by the demands of an Ayr Gold Cup.

David Ord: The price has gone about ARDISIA but I do think he'll run very well. He was a clear-cut winner of a nursery over course-and-distance last season before winning a Listed race at Redcar. Back into a handicap and with cut in the ground he was back to form at Goodwood last time, faring by far the best of those who raced down the centre. Warren Fentiman rides and takes a valuable three pounds off too.

John Ingles: Not many three-year-olds have got in, but one who has at the foot of the weights is Tim Easterby’s RED SPELLS DANGER who had a most progressive profile until his latest start. Between hosing up in a class 4 handicap at Hamilton and May and winning the Shergar Cup Sprint off a much higher mark, he ran with plenty of credit in big fields which will stand him in good stead here. He admittedly has to bounce back from a lesser effort at the Ebor meeting last time when a high draw was probably as much to blame as anything. Conditions were softer at York too, but he seemed to handle soft ground well enough at this meeting a year ago and could go well at each-way odds.

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What about the Mill Reef?

DO: Clearly Arapaho Gold sets the standard but NABATI got close to him in the Rose Bowl at Newbury and and is 5/1 against the 6/5 market leader. Only a neck separated the pair that day and while the winner went on to land the Gimcrack, the selection landed a Newmarket novice before turning up in the Flying Scotsman at Doncaster last week. He was all-the-rage in the betting there and while only third behind Forbidden Fire and Montreal, he raced away from the two protagonists. He's back to six furlongs at Newbury and that's his trip.

JI: We’re probably on firmer ground here in more ways than one and it’s hard to look beyond the chances of ARAPAHO GOLD, even though he has a penalty to carry for winning the Gimcrack Stakes last time. He has the beating of Adaay of Scarlett on that run, and it’s a race that’s working out well, Flying Childers winner Final Objective, who was second, being among those to have been successful since. The form of Arapaho’s Gold earlier course-and-distance listed win isn’t looking too bad either.

AA: It doesn’t look the strongest renewal of the Mill Reef and it is very hard to get away from ARAPAHO GOLD. He won a strong Listed event over this course and distance two starts back and produced a smart performance when bring up the four-timer in the Gimcrack Stakes at York last month. He can get slightly geed up beforehand, but he was calmer that usual that day, and displayed a cracking attitude. This looks the perfect race for him and he’ll once again prove a tough nut to crack.

Have you another horse or two on the Ayr card?

AA: SILENT BEAUTY looked a smart prospect when making a winning debut and she banished the memory of her poor effort in the Albany at Royal Ascot with a comfortable success at Ripon recently. The return to softer ground was seemingly a help, so conditions will be in her favour here, and the manner of that performance suggests she’ll have no problem winning races now back in pattern company.

JI: The Doonside Cup (13:55) looks a tricky contest with some returning from absences, but Ed Walker’s FAST TRACKER looks to have a few things going for him, not least the going because he has done all his racing on ground softer than good. Having missed all of last year, he’s been seen out only twice this season, with much his better effort coming when third to Zavateri in the Celebration Mile at Goodwood last time after a further six months off. As well as dropping in class here, he’s also stepping up in trip and that looks a big positive as his best efforts in France as a three-year-old all came at beyond a mile.

DO: McMurry will be popular in the opener but Richard Spencer and Phil Cunningham will be looking for another red-letter day at Ayr and HAWKBILL can start kick them off in style. After a winter campaign in Meydan he's been finding his feet back in the UK of late and shaped very well at both Goodwood and York, the cards not falling his way in either race. Now proven on soft ground, there's a race of this nature in him from a mark of 92.

And what about Newbury?

DO: Hamad Al Jehani has his team in fine form right now and FRENCH DUKE looks sure to go well in the Autumn Cup. He ran a cracker at York when going down by a nose to Plage De Havre in a valuable handicap, just failing to get there after being switched in his run. He's up five pounds but the winner has gone on to win a Listed race since, it's strong form and he's right at the top of his game.

JI: Like Dave, I think FRENCH DUKE makes plenty of appeal in the Autumn Cup (13:37) for the Hamad Al Jehani stable which is going well. He’d been edging down the weights before going very close at the Ebor meeting and was arguably unlucky not to put his nose in front as he didn’t get such a clear run as the winner Plage de Havre. That one has franked the form since by following up in a listed race at Chester and while French Duke didn’t run to his best on his only previous try at beyond a mile and a half, there’s no reason on pedigree why he shouldn’t get the extra furlong here.

AA: I put up BOYFRIEND for the Dubai Duty Free Handicap in my Weekend View column earlier in the week and I see no reason to abandon him. He became another next-time-out winner from the Spring Cup at Sandown earlier in the year and he very much caught the eye at Salisbury last time when repeatedly denied a run. The return to a mile and a quarter shouldn’t be a problem and he appeals as a horse who still has the scope for better from his current mark.