Confirmed runners and riders for the 2023 Ayr Gold Cup - plus a big-race tip and free bet

Ante-post favourite Orazio has been confirmed in a maximum field of 25 for Saturday's £180,000 Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup (3.35), with other fancied contenders Summerghand, Significantly and Aleezdancer also declared.

The Charlie Hills-trained four-year-old, who has been drawn in stall 23, looked highly progressive in the spring and was sent off favourite for both the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Stewards' Cup at Glorious Goodwood. He finished sixth and 18th on those two occasions, but that has not stopped punters from latching on to him for the Ayr Gold Cup.

Last year's winner Summerghand is drawn in stall 15 and is not the only sprinter bidding for a second Ayr Gold Cup as 2021 victor Bielsa, who will enter from stall one, has also been declared.

The Mark Walford-trained It Just Takes Time, who is drawn high in stall 24, was the last runner to make the cut, with The Highway Rat, Tabdeed, The Green Man, Pendleton and Hyperfocus not declared from those who were higher on the entry list.

Lethal Nymph, Twelfth Knight, Kitai and Bergerac were the first four horses who missed the cut, with the last of those named heading the weights for the Virgin Bet Ayr Silver Cup (2.25).

Ayr Gold Cup confirmed runners and riders

Draw number in brackets

• Summerghand (15) Daniel Tudhope
• Rohaan (25) Ben Curtis
• Fast Response (3) Brandon Wilkie
• Northern Express (19) Paul Mulrennan
• Desert Cop (9) PJ McDonald
• Montassib (10) Cieren Fallon
• Orazio (23) Jim Crowley
• Gweedore (8) William Pyle
• Aberama Gold (16) Mark Winn
• Escobar (17) David Allan
• Gorak (11) Mikkel Mortensen
• Albasheer (13) Hollie Doyle
• Ramazan (12) Oisin Orr
• Bielsa (1) Rowan Scott
• Juan Les Pins (20) - NON-RUNNER
• Lethal Levi (6) Clifford Lee
• Magical Spirit (18) Tom Eaves
• Mr Wagyu (21) Jason Hart
• Aleezdancer (5) Shane Gray
• Probe (4) Frederick Larson
• Paws For Thought (7) Robert Whearty
• Significantly (14) Joe Fanning
• Mondammej (2) Cam Hardie
• Lequinto (22) Connor Beasley
• It Just Takes Time (24) Dougie Costello

Ayr Gold Cup (3.35 Ayr, Saturday)

Coral: 8 Orazio, 10 Significantly, Summerghand, 11 Rohaan, 12 Aleezdancer, Albasheer, Juan Les Pins, 14 Bielsa, Ramazan, 16 Aberama Gold, Mr Wagyu, Probe, 20 Montassib, 22 Fast Response, 25 Desert Cop, Escobar, Gweedore, Northern Express, Paws For Thought, 33 Gorak, It Just Takes Time, Lethal Levi, Magical Spirit, Mondammej, 40 Lequinto

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Ayr Gold Cup betting tip and 1-2-3 prediction

By Stuart Redding

1 Summerghand
2 Aleezdancer
3 Significantly

Last year's winner Summerghand should make another bold bid. He has been running better than his form figures might suggest in 2023 and gained a deserved victory when dead-heating at York last month. Another solid effort at the Curragh, where he was fourth on the unfavoured side of the track, confirmed he remains in good shape.

Aleezdancer won in the small group of five who went up the far side in the Stewards' Cup. It looks as though he has been saved for this.

Summerghand15:35 Ayr

View Racecard

Jky: Daniel Tudhope Tnr: David O'Meara

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Read these next:

2023 Ayr Gold Cup: the runners, the odds, the verdict 

Why this horse can win the Ayr Gold Cup on Saturday 

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