'I'm as hopeful as you can be' - two big hopes primed for Ayr Gold Cup

We have two live chances in Saturday's Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup and I'm as hopeful as you can be in such a tough race.

I can't wait to see Great Ambassador run, as he's the deserved favourite and it looks as though the weather is going to be kind.

They shouldn't get the heavy rain which ruled him out of the Wokingham and turned the ground against him in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood, where he was still a fine third from a bad draw.

Great Ambassador (No.21, far side) bids to improve on his third place in the Stewards' CupCredit: Mark Cranham

That showed how competitive he can be in a big handicap and he's an exciting sprinter who's still unexposed.

Although a penalty for his win at York makes things harder, it was the right decision to strike while the iron was hot and he's seriously progressive.

Popmaster is also improving and will run a big race if he makes the cut. He's been in great form all season and has really been getting it together since he was gelded. He'll be a smart horse next year.

Popmaster: 'He'll be a smart horse next year'Credit: Alan Crowhurst

This is a very competitive race. It's a cavalry charge and you need luck with draw and in the race itself. However, our pair are in fine shape and have plenty in their favour.

I'm expecting a good performance from Parachute in the mile-and-a-half handicap at Newbury, his most likely option from several entries.

We're keen to get him back on track after a couple of disappointing runs, the second of which was my fault as I ran him over too long a trip in the Melrose at York.

I hope he'll get back in the winners enclosure now he drops back in distance.

Dreamweaver is in that race and a similar one at Catterick and, wherever he goes, he'll probably wear headgear. While it was good to see him get his head in front last time, Tom Marquand felt there was plenty more in the tank and he wasn't quite concentrating.

Dreamweaver: likely to wear headgearCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Paxos returns in the seven-furlong handicap after failing to make as much as we'd hoped at the sales last month and he's in great form. This will be more his cup of tea than when he finished sixth over a mile at Windsor last time.

Speranzoso could make his debut in the seven-furlong novice and is a lovely big two-year-old, very much a horse for next season.

He's taken time to settle down and get into a routine since he was bought at the breeze-ups in May and whatever he shows in his first couple of runs he'll continue to progress.

Though Shibuya Song will need further than the mile of the novice event at Newmarket, winning as a juvenile would be important for her residual value and she showed enough at Haydock last time to suggest she can find a race this season.

Canyon is flying

Great Ambassador and Popmaster are not our only big hopes for Ayr as I expect Tenaya Canyon to run well in the Listed Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies' Stakes on Friday, though I've also given her a speculative entry in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy at Newbury.

She's in flying form, has been progressing all year and will be ideally suited by this five-and-a-half-furlong trip.

I don't think we've seen the best of her yet and I believe she'll be better again next year as she gets stronger.

Tenaya Canyon: 'I don't think we've seen the best of her yet'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

I'm also hopeful for Kindness in the Listed Rosebery Stakes, though she has an alternative option in the Firth of Clyde on Saturday.

She's another who's improved with racing and she won a good novice at York last time. She's capable of getting black type, which would be so important to owner/breeder David Ward as she's the first foal out of the mare.

I'm looking forward to American Star's nursery debut at Newbury as he's on a very fair mark and will be well suited by stepping up to seven furlongs, although if the ground is too fast he won’t run.

He was thrown in at the deep end in the Gimcrack and also found the ground a little quick for him at York.

Matthew Flinders could return from a respiratory infection in the Dubai Duty Free Cup, though we may give him a little more time and wait for the Guisborough Stakes at Redcar on October 2.

He's back in good shape, having been off since July, and he's a gorgeous horse who's always threatened to be better than he's shown on the track and is still relatively unexposed.

We have a couple of runners to look out for at Kempton on Friday evening, includingCrocuswho's much better than she showed at Chepstow last time.

She hated the firm ground there and will be a different filly back on a flat, kinder surface.

I hope to see Dream A Little make a big step forward from her one, disappointing, run at two in the novice event.

Though she's been off for a long time with niggling problems, she's a nice, strong filly who goes really well at home and is capable of winning races.

The ground should be ideal for Sky Bright in the fillies' handicap at Sandown on Wednesday.

She's in good form and had been quietly progressive until finding the surface too soft for her here last time, though she's probably not all that well handicapped now.

The ground was too quick for True Scarlet to run in the Listed race at Yarmouth but I'm sure we'll get black type with her.

She could take in the valuable fillies' handicap at Newmarket on October 2 before heading to Doncaster for the Gillies Stakes at the end of the season, which looks the perfect target

Happy mother's day

Our excellent recent form was underlined when Piffle gave us our fifth winner in a row at Goodwood last week.

It was great to see her win for my mother and she's a really promising filly. I'd left her alone after her previous win as she was growing and she benefited from that break.

She put up quite a smart performance, picking the leaders up really well and putting the race to bed comfortably even though she wasn't doing a lot in front.

I may give her a shot at black type now and I wouldn't be afraid to try her on softer ground either.

The fourth win in our sequence came at a humbler level as Cotai Hero landed a seller at Leicester.

It was a case of 'job done' because Fred Ma also had Cotai Glory and it was important to get another win on board for the stallion.

The winner is a horse without a huge amount of scope and may find it difficult next year so the owner was happy to let him go at the auction.

Things went less well at the end of the week, notably in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown. We had no choice but to drop Dreamloper in from her draw in stall 13 of 13 and they went very slowly so it became a bit of a non-event for her.

She ran well in the circumstances and could now be aimed at the Sun Chariot at Newmarket or the Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp on Arc weekend.

However Zulu Tracker really let me down at Chester. Having behaved like an angel first time out, he was awful in the stalls. We need to get him right and we may geld him now.

Not many of my horses start at 100-1 but Kingofhell was hard to fancy at Windsor after being very disappointing on his first two starts.

I was delighted to see him step up considerably on that by finishing fifth and I hope he can win a nursery. Looking further ahead, he could be a nice horse next year when he fills his frame: he's big, scopey and rangy and has been a bit weak.

The weather was unkind to us at Doncaster, where the ground was a shade quick for Sunset Bay on her first run in Group company in Wednesday's Sceptre Stakes then the rain came and Desert Doctor found the ground a bit loose for him in Friday's sprint handicap.

The going change came much too late for our May Hill hope Kawida, who will probably now head for the Rockfel Stakes, and for Glenartney in the Park Hill - I was gutted to miss what looked a stand out opportunity for her.

Kawida: missed Doncaster due to the groundCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

She'll be well suited by softer ground and has a number of options. And Teona's defeat of Snowfall in France proved once again how well her Musidora Stakes form is working out.

Leave the Leger alone

I thought the St Leger was a great race last Saturday and it showed once more that talk of reducing it in trip is absolute nonsense.

It's a brilliant race and it's a classic - if they start rewriting them, then the game really is in trouble.

Fashions change and the Leger has stood the test of time. Yes, there has been a shift towards speed in commercial breeding but that's probably shifting back - a lot of foreign buyers now want staying horses.

There have been some top-class horses in the race in recent years, the likes of Camelot and Crystal Ocean, and Hurricane Lane was awesome.

I do think it's quite a big ask for him to go from the Leger to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe but he is in the best possible hands with Charlie Appleby, who will no doubt make the right decision as he has done all season with his team.

It is good to see Godolphin having such a great time of it. Sheikh Mohamed has given so much to this sport and he really is reaping the rewards now.

Ed's week

Highlight…
Piffle winning again for mum

Low point…
The Matron Stakes not panning out at all for Dreamloper - it was a long way to go for a non-event

What made me smile…
Watching Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez in the US Open final on Saturday night. Those kids were amazing and the way they spoke after the match was brilliant. If anything, the loser was the better of the two - she was certainly more eloquent than I was after Starman's defeat at Haydock!

What made me sad…
The death of Andy Stewart. I didn't know him but he was a great supporter of the game and owned some magnificent horses.

What I'm most looking forward to...
A dry week at Ayr - fingers crossed!

Read more from this week's Weekender:

Weekender expert with three for one of the most tricky handicaps of the year (Members' Club)

Brilliant Native Trail physically in a different world to his juvenile peers (Members' Club)

How getting around stake restrictions isn't as tough as you might imagine

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