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Ayr Gold Cup will continue to be sponsored by Virgin Bet for a third straight year, according to an announcement made by Ayr Racecourse.
The Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup sprint handicape race had victories by Summerghand and Bielsa in 2022 and has a current value of £180,000.
It is expected that the increased prize money for the main event will improve competition among competitors.
Ayr Racecourse is the only racing site in Great Britain to host the Gold Cup, Silver Cup and Bronze Cup, giving horses who didn’t qualify for the main event a chance to compete over the same course and distance.
The Virgin Bet Kilkerran Cup, which Joanna Mason won last year riding the Mick and David Easterby-trained Yorkshire Lady, will be the featured event on the first day of the three-day Festival, which begins on Thursday 21 September.
The Virgin Bet Bronze Cup will be the Ladies’ Day main event on Friday and the sports betting company will also sponsor the three important supporting races on Gold Cup Day on 23 September.
David Brown, Ayr Managing Director, said: “We’re delighted to be renewing our Ayr Gold Cup partnership with Virgin Bet for a third year and owners and trainers will be excited to hear that the prize money for the race is being increased to £180,000.”
Ric Leask, Virgin Bet Marketing Director, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring the Ayr Gold Cup for the third successive year. We are proud to be a part of such quality racing.”
