Eye Of Dubai won the Ladbrokes Ayr Bronze Cup on the second day of the Ayr Gold Cup Festival on Friday, September 18, giving father-and-son trainers John and Sean Quinn and jockey Jason Hart the first of the meeting’s three big sprint handicaps. The 15-2 shot chased the leader on the far side, went on two furlongs out and, despite hanging right inside the final furlong, held off the fast-finishing Rousing Encore (9-1) by half a length, with 33-1 outsider Bone Marra two and a quarter lengths back in third and long-time leader Vantheman fourth.
Earlier on soft ground, Richard Fahey’s Mussab made the most of a step up to Listed company in the British EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes. Ridden by Oisin Orr, the 9-2 chance pressed the pace-setting Dance A Jig, took over inside the final furlong and kept on to beat Dubai Champion by a length and a quarter, with Dance A Jig third and 5-4 favourite Hickory Lad only fifth. “He’s naturally quick, sometimes those quick horses like to be let run and we let him run today,” Fahey said, nominating the Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket on October 10 as the next target.
Ed Bethell’s Fluorescence then earned her black type in the Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies’ Stakes, the day’s second Listed contest. Danny Tudhope found himself short of room two furlongs out before switching left and driving the filly to the front entering the final furlong, and she pulled three lengths clear of 13-8 favourite Beautiful Diamond, with 33-1 shot Nariko third. “She handled it well and she’s got her black type now, which is the main thing,” Bethell said.
The two-year-old nurseries went to William Haggas’s 5-2 favourite Diplomata, who came from midfield under Tom Marquand to win the opening fillies’ race by two and a quarter lengths from One Shot Kodi, and to 40-1 outsider Turnstile, who led inside the final furlong for Tim Easterby and David Fentiman in the Class 2 EBF Nursery, holding Crystal Queen by three-quarters of a length.
The festival concludes on Saturday, September 19, with the £180,000 Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup, Europe’s most valuable Flat handicap, due off at 3.40pm BST over six furlongs.
