Dark casts shadow over Gold field
Portland Handicap winner Out After Dark heads a full field of 28 runners in Saturday’s totesport Ayr Gold Cup.
The Clive Cox-trained four-year-old will be trying to follow up his big-race success at Doncaster when he starts from a favourable high draw in stall 25.
Out After Dark has been well backed all week and was the clear favourite with a number of firms before the final 48-hour declarations, while Coral had him as the 9-1 co-favourite of three.
David Nicholls’ Ice Planet and the Hughie Morrison-trained Intrepid Jack were the other market leaders but both miss the cut, with the former lining-up in the Silver Cup instead.
The Ian Semple-trained Chookie Heiton is set to shoulder top weight of 9st 10lb and although Ice Planet misses out, Nicholls will still be well-represented with eight runners.
The Thirsk-based handler has the 2002 and 2004 winner Funfair Wane in the six-furlong race along with his 2001 victor Continent.
Just James, Traytonic, Peace Offering, Primus Inter Pares, Merlin’s Dancer and Pieter Brueghel complete his team.
Richard Fahey has declared Stewards’ Cup runner-up Fonthill Road but has stated the five-year-old will not run unless sufficient rain.
He has drawn stall four with stablemate Philharmonic in box 17.
Others set to race on the stands side include Irish raider Majestic Times (27), Fantasy Believer (20) and Talbot Avenue (23).
