Ayrshire, Scotland, 31 August 2008--THE richest flat horse race meeting in Scotland - the John Smith’s Ayr Gold Cup Festival at Ayr Racecourse - has been given a huge cash boost with prize money for the meeting next month topping £600,000 - a £100,000 increase on last year.

The Festival runs from Thursday 18 September until Saturday 20 September and features a Group 3 race, two Listed Races and the Gold and Silver Cups.

The prize fund for the John Smith’s Ayr Gold Cup, run on Saturday September 20, rises by almost £30,000 to £150,000 with the winner taking home £93,465 while the Silver Cup run the day before is worth £50,000, a £15,000 hike from last year.

Two other major races on the Saturday – The Laundry Cottage Stud Firth Of Clyde Stakes, a Group 3 event, and the Doonside Cup, a Listed Race, have cash pots of £80,000 and £60,000 respectively. In total over the three days there will be £606,000 in prize money.

Ayr Racecourse managing director Richard Johnstone said: “Last year we hit the £500,000 mark in prize money at the Gold Cup Festival for the first time, so to jump over £100,000 in a year is a very significant rise.

”We have attracted an early entry of 171 horses for the John Smith’s Ayr Gold Cup with around 25 of them rated 100 or higher so there is no doubt that top prizes attract top horses.

“The Doonside Cup also benefited last year from a cash boost, and we saw a race featuring some outstanding horses with Anna Pavlova winning. I think we are in for another treat this year.”

Advance bookings are being taken for the John Smith’s Ayr Gold Cup Festival and there are discounts available on bookings made seven or more days in advance. Book online at http://www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk or call 0870-8505666.

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