Is the Ayr Gold Cup the toughest betting race of all? The fact I'm backing this unique veteran says it all

If you were asked to make the case for the Ayr Gold Cup being the most difficult betting race of the year, you would likely start with the immutable points. It cannot be made an easier race to complete, as the Grand National can and has been. It is also the least prone to biases of draw or pace among the big three sprint handicaps – the Wokingham and Stewards' Cup being the other two.

We can add another factor, one seemingly more movable. The Ayr Gold Cup looks to be fully open to three-year-olds again. Five of the 25 to make the cut this year are three. There have not been more than that since 2002.

This has not sprung out of nowhere. Following a decade or more of one or two three-year-olds getting into the Ayr Gold Cup, in recent years the number has ticked up to three, five, two and then four last year.