Ayr Racecourse & Betting Review: Best Events, Top Offers and Facts

For a relatively brief overview of the different features of some of the better UK betting sites for wagering on races at Ayr, the table shown above will serve as the perfect introduction. Here you’ll find information relating to top welcome bonuses for new players, payout prices, betting types and more. In the sections below we’ll be looking at the history behind the track, reviewing the technical aspects of the course and discussing some of the most popular horse racing events held there. Continue reading for your perfect betting guide to the Ayr Racecourse.

The Turf Itself

Ayr Racecourse is open all year round and stages both flat and jump racing events of varying distances. The flat course is a left-handed oval of approximately 12 furlongs, which includes the half-mile straight run-in at the end. After just over a furlong it features a six-furlong funnel; aside from this it is mostly flat with only subtle undulations and all the turns are pretty gentle. Overall, its a pretty fair course. The jump course tells a similar story. It measures at just over one-and-a-half-miles and features just nine obstacles and the home turn is all downhill with just a gentle rise to the run in of about 210 yards. Its geographical location on the west coast means that it benefits from a fairly moderate climate. The turf is also renowned for being slightly sandy, which means that the going tends to stay pretty good all throughout the year.

Most Popular Ayr Horse Racing Events

Although the Scottish Grand National is undoubtedly the most popular event held at Ayr, there are a number of other events of considerable prestige staged here. Among the most popular events in the Ayr horse racing schedule include the Scottish Champions Hurdle; a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race worth about £105,000, run over a distance of about two miles, and reserved for horses aged four-years-old and above; the Ayr Gold Cup, a 6-furlong flat handicap race worth £200,000 reserved for horses aged three and above; and, of course, the Scottish Grand National – the feature event of the year – which is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase reserved for slightly more mature horses aged five years and older and worth about £215,000. The first-place winner takes home around £1220,000, with the rest divided among the second and third-place competitors.

Some Interesting Facts

Ayr Racecourse is Scotland’s premier horse racing venue (the only Grade 1 track in the country) and the host of the nation’s most anticipated meeting, the Ayr Gold Cup Festival, which normally takes place in September. 2018 saw the venue confirm 37 fixtures – the most in its history – with many of them boasting first-rate live entertainment. The Ayr horse racing track is also available for hire with weddings, conferences and numerous other occasions being held all through the year. Something that makes it stand-out from some of the other tracks we’ve reviewed.

Racecourse Information:
First Opened:	1907	Ayr Racecourse logo The Grandstand at Ayr
Max. Race Distance:	5furlongs
Surface:	Turf
Event:	Scottish Grand National
Average Temperature:	2°/19°
Racecourse Capacity:	18000

There have been a number of outstanding figures of the sport of kings that have in some way featured at Ayr. Among these is Donald McCain, the top trainer active between 2007-2011 and winner of 44 races from 319 runs; Richard Fahey, another top trainer active at the same time who won 55 races in his career of 325 races; and Jim Goldie, who trained Orientor, Jack Dexter and Hawkeyethenoo to group-level wins. More memorable horses of Ayr include Overturn, winner of the Scottish Champion Hurdle in 2010 that also bagged the Northumberland Plate, the Chester Cup and the Ascot Hurdle in his career; and Earth Summit, winner of the Scottish Grand National in 1994 that went on to win the Welsh National the Grand National and the Becher Chase. All of these figures have contributed to Ayr Racecourse betting becoming a much-loved pastime among horse racing fans in the UK.

Ayr Racecourse: The Story so Far

Although Ayr Racecourse officially opened in 1907, historians estimate that horse racing in the town of Ayr dates back as far as 1576! The first official meeting was held in 1771, which means that the track is steeped in a unique heritage and culture that is difficult to find elsewhere in the world. This first meet was a two-day festival and was a properly organised affair, but the first Ayr Gold Cup wasn’t staged until 1804. Twenty years later the first Western Meeting was held, which is better known nowadays as the Ayr Gold Cup Festival. With the growth of the Cup and other important races, Ayr horse racing betting is now a staple feature of Scottish horse racing.

An important date in the evolution of Ayr Racecourse horse racing track is 1950, when the jumps course was established, which meant that racing could now be held all-year-round. In 1966 the Scottish Grand National found its new home here, which put the track on the map like never before. In more recent times it has undergone a series of redevelopments, with an investment of £35million confirmed in 2005. Now, the track boasts The Princess Royal Exhibition, Banqueting and Conference Centres over four floors, two fine dining restaurants and a refurbished paddock area.