Ayr set for testing ground for Gold Cup but no danger of 2017 repeat

The rain has arrived on the west coast of Scotland ahead of Ayr's Western meeting, headlined by the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup on Saturday, but officials are confident there will be no repeat of the nightmare that befell the course 12 months ago.

The condition of the track was described as soft, heavy in places on Tuesday. Clerk of the course Graeme Anderson said: "We're forecast a bit of rain tomorrow and a bit more after racing on Thursday. It's being said to be about 6mm each time, so I think it's going to be pretty testing if we get that amount."

Last year Anderson was presiding over what would have been his first Ayr Gold Cup meeting when a false patch of ground around two and a half furlongs out scuppered all three days.