Alan Dudman Antepost Tips: Two Ayr Gold Cup fancies at 14/1 and 25/1

• ITV races from Ayr and Newbury priced up on the Sportsbook

• Two Ayr Gold tips at 14/115.00 and 25/126.00 for Saturday

• Alan Dudman previews the televised races this weekend

Ayr Gold Cup the big punting race of the weekend

Five of the races from Ayr are priced up as of Tuesday on the Betfair Sportsbook, and in all, nine are chalked up antepost with four races from Newbury set to be televised too. We're in for a bumper weekend.

It's wise to start at Ayr for the highlight and the forecast is set fair for the week on the west coast of Scotland, although we know more of the weather at this stage rather than the draw. That dreaded draw.

Well kick off with my first selection for the Ayr Gold Cup, which takes place on Saturday at 15:35, and it's Kevin Ryan's Room Service - a three-year-old on the up.

He's priced at 14/115.00 with the four places on the Sportsbook and goes for a yard well versed in producing a winner of this race with Brando and Bielsa both scorers in recent seasons.

Room Service was off the mark for the season at Pontefract last time - his first run in a handicap this term and took advantage of a thin turnout for the class to win pretty easily off 100. Assistant trainer Adam Ryan said afterwards a stiff finish and good pace suited him.

Down the years I have often profiled a runner with 7f form down to 6f for this, and Room Service has that, although he didn't quite stay the 7f in the Greenham. He won a big sales pot at Doncaster last term, Kevin Ryan said he'd get a mile, so we'll settled on six furlongs Kevin.

He does act well in soft conditions, indeed it was soft in that big field on Town Moor, but he's acted on good before and off a mark of 105 it reflects the standard of the race these days.

Ramazan deserves a mention - he was a second for the column off a big weight and mark in the Great St Wilfrid from 103, and was runner-up behind Significantly last year in the Ayr Gold Cup from 101. He's a splendid handicapper and deserves to get some prize money as he's a model of consistency.

I'd want to keep King's Lynn onside too at 25/126.00 with the four places as he's barely run a bad race this season in some tough handicaps.

His mark has dropped a little down to 94, and at 27 on the list, should make it in. He ran honourably at Doncaster recently in a 0-105 from 94 and he's been dropped 1lb for the second behind Baldomero. King's Lynn was rated 111 in 2022, so he's really well treated and these big fields are bread and butter to him.

He just needs some of that jam as he hasn't won for a while.

Doonside Cup - take your pick with the Obaid horses

Karl Burke won the Doonside Cup last year and he's strongly represented on the antepost book with Bolster 7/24.50 and Caviar Heights 7/18.00 for Saturday at 13:50.

Bolster is a class act when he has cut in the ground, but he might not get it on Saturday, so he has to be a doubt but his stablemate Caviar Heights has enough form on good and good to firm to keep him in the punting ledger.

He looked a real tool winning at Newmarket earlier in the season at Listed level - a real smart performance by 4L and connections took their chance in running in the Dante.

Caviar Heights was more Porridge Towers last time, as he ran in a poor race in the Listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton over 1m3f and was very disappointing in third. The lack of a gallop didn't help him and was far too keen. He certainly deserves another chance and he could shorten on the Sportsbook as I would be very doubtful of Bolster running if there's no soft in the going.

The same yellow and black silks might be seen with Botanical, and he's one of the ex Roger Varian/Sheikh Obaid horses making the transfer switch. Botanical runs for George Boughey - so good luck George, I hope it lasts.

Persian Spirit a shock winner on debut and 10/111.00 this weekend

Quite Sheikh Obaid heavy this week, and I noted with interest Persian Spirit with an entry in Ayr's Firth Of Clyde Stakes, which will be run at 15:00.

Persian Spirit was a shock winner in terms of price on debut at 20/121.00 and a BSP of 25.024/1 on soft ground at Newbury.

That probably wasn't a bad race as Boxtel had two seconds next to his name including a debut run against The Waco Kid, and the third Fondo Blanco looked a nice type physically and ran well for Roger Varian on debut, shaping nicely having missed the start.

Persian Spirit looked clued up and professional, so it was somewhat surprising she was allowed to go off such a big price for Richard Hannon. Sean Levey has been booked, a most underrated jockey who excels, and at 10/111.00 she is worth keeping an eye on, although it's a race for juvenile fillies and doesn't quite sway me to part for a bet.

Has Relief Rally trained on?

Plenty of entries for Newbury this weekend and the televised races, and while a dry week, rain is forecast for Saturday.

The Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes Group 3 starts the Newbury ball rolling at 13:30, although for clock-watching sticklers, like me, the chances of that race going off on time are absolutely zero.

Keep an eye on the veteran Equilateral here - as he holds an entry in this race and the Ayr Gold Cup, likewise Significantly and Albasheer.

Relief Rally at 8/19.00 ran in the Listed Carnavon Stakes at the track last time - a race where she finished third behind Elite Status in a course record time. She was happier too there sprinting as she was a complete non-stayer over 7f on his sole other run this term.

Whatever has been troubling her she seems over it, so she comes from the fresh angle with just two starts in 2024 and remember, she was a Lowther winner as a juvenile, was unlucky in the Queen Mary and landed the Super Sprint at the track.

However, William Haggas said last year: "I had a very similar filly a few years ago in Besharah who won this race and she didn't go on. It's hard, especially when they are small and they get caught up. So we don't want to get wrapped up in her being a fantastic three-year-old, this may well be her year, in which case we want to capitalise."

So one has to wonder if she has trained on sufficiently given she has only been seen twice this year.

Aututmn Cup and compensation awaits for Gibbous

Newbury's Autumn Cup at 14:05 has the potential for a fairly hot race with some of the powerful stables holding entries. But it's telling that Waxing Gibbous tops the market at 9/25.50 for this and she's one I very much want to back this weekend.

Trained by David Menuisier, he has shown himself to be very adept with handling of these staying types and her run in the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup Handicap two weeks ago was a superb effort at a new distance and she proved every inch she'll stay 1m6f well and two miles down the line.

Hollie Doyle did everything right on her at Haydock, but she was still a little green and inexperienced in a good tussle at the end. I wouldn't say she want too early, and it was typical for those that backed her at Haydock to get done in the finish by Epic Poet - a horse who has a litany of unlucky runs next to his name.

The front two were over 4L clear of the third and Waxing Gibbous has Newbury form too having scored at the track on good ground over 1m4f in May - a race where she travelled well but still looked inexperienced and green in the finish.

I am hoping that battle at Haydock has put more of an edge on her in terms of "know-how" and off 86, she is still well treated in my opinion as she's unexposed as a stayer and looks more of a 90+ horse.

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