Costly blow as Gold Cup abandoned

Jockey Tom Eaves: Celebrating winning last year's Ayr Gold Cup on Brando.

AYR has been left counting the cost after the racecourse lost their biggest Flat meeting of the year for the first time in living memory.

The estimated loss to the local economy could run into seven figures after all three days of the traditional Western meeting, which was supposed to culminate with the William Hill Gold Cup today, were abandoned due to an unsafe patch of ground caused by heavy rain.

Seven inches of rain have fallen in five weeks.

“Everything was done to make it raceable but it’s not,” said Iain Ferguson, head of public relations.

“People plan their holidays around this and it’s a local holiday as well, too, so it’s a massive blow.”