On a busy Saturday of racing, the Ayr Gold Cup is the main event at the Scottish circuit, while the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes tops the agenda at Newbury.
There’s also action at Newmarket, Catterick and Wolverhampton, plus Irish meetings at Gowran Park and Navan.
Ayr’s eight-race card gets under way at 13:20 with the Gold Cup set for 15:40 and the last race there is due off at 17:20.
William Haggas and Jim Crowley team up on Khanjar (4/1) in the Gold Cup, when the three-year-old, who has won three of his six starts, will hope to see off his 24 rivals in the prestigious contest despite carrying a 5lb penalty.
Kevin Ryan is on board lively outsider Bergerac (22/1), who is going for a hat-trick after August wins at Newmarket and York, while last year’s winner Bielsa is a 17/2 shot.
Betfred have designated the Ayr Gold Cup as one of their ‘Super Extra Place’ Races, paying six places instead of four for Each Way bets at a fifth of the odds.
In the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury, which is due off at 14:50, 10/11 Sakheer for Roger Varian and David Egan is at the top of the market and expectations are high that he can build on his commanding victory at Haydock last time out.
Richard Hannon’s Shouldvebeenaring (10/3), who has won three times from four starts, including a Listed Redcar contest over this trip last month, is among the other notable contenders.
In all, there are eight races at Newbury today between 13:10 and 17:10.
Newmarket stages a seven-race card, with the first event off at 13:31 and the finale due at 17:01, while the action at Catterick, where there are eight races, takes place between 13:48 and 17:50.
Wolverhampton’s meeting is due to start at 16:50 and runs until the eighth and final race at 20:30, which is one of Betfred’s ‘Extra Place’ races, paying four places at fifth of the odds.
In that closer, Brazen Diamond (3/1) is after a course hat-trick after successive wins at the Black Country venue last month and she will hope to see off the likes of Ramdon Rocks (4/1), despite being upped 7lb.
The two Irish meetings are scheduled for Gowran Park (13:35-17:40), where there are eight races, and Navan, which also stages eight contests between 14:00 and 18:00.
