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Frankie Strikes Gold on Redford
18/09/10

1 Redford 14/1
2 Victoire De Lyphar 8/1
3 Hitchens 25/1
4 Genki 8/1

Dandy Nicholls and Frankie Dettori teamed up for one of the most popular successes in the history of the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup as the Thirsk trainer incredibly saddled his sixth winner of the six-furlong dash.

Redford ridden by Frankie Dettori and trained by Dandy Nicholls wins the 2010 Ayr Gold Cup
© Grossick Racing Photography

But it had been touch and go whether Dettori - winning the race for the second year in a row - would make it to the course, having been unable to take his scheduled flight from Stanstead to Prestwick because he had not taken his passport to the airport with him.

He missed his ride in the second race and then had to be content with second place on Ragsah in the Firth Of Clyde Stakes - but things went like clockwork in the feature as he brought Redford (14-1) with a perfectly-timed run to beat stable companion Victoire De Lyphar by two and a quarter lengths.

Nicholls, who trains the winner for Dr Marwan Koukash, said: "I love this race and it is great to have won it again. It is one of the best handicaps in the calendar and Frankie told me when he rode him in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket that the horse would win the Ayr Gold Cup.

"Michael Bell had him to start with and I feel sorry for Kevin Ryan, who had him before he came to me a couple of months ago, but he is a very good horse with more to come hopefully and he will now run in the seven-furlong handicap at Ascot next week.

"But don't forget Victoire De Lyphar, he is only a three-year-old and you will see the best of him next year."

Dettori, who celebrated by completing a double on Vesuve in the Listed Doonside Cup, said: "This is one of the great handicaps. I waited 23 years to win it for the first time and now I have won it twice in two years.

"I left my passport at home because when I last came up here six months ago a driving licence was all right to get through the airport, but now you need the passport.

"I could not believe it and all the other lads who were booked on the plane were laughing their socks off, but I went back home for the passport and then fortunately I was able to get a flight to Glasgow and made it here.

"Things did not look too good at 8.30 this morning and I would have been kicking myself if I had had to watch the race on telly, but all's well that ends well."

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Redford D Nicholls	L Dettori 9st 2lbs	14 - 1 Winner
2	Victoire De Lyphar D Nicholls	A Nicholls 9st 4lbs	8 - 1 2 1/4 lengths
3	Hitchens T D Barron	S De Sousa 9st 6lbs	25 - 1 1/2 length
4	Genki R Charlton	S Drowne 9st 8lbs	8 - 1 Short Head
5	Jonny Mudball Tom Dascombe	S Sanders 9st 9lbs	13 - 2 1 length
6	Knot In Wood R A Fahey	P Hanagan 9st 7lbs	20 - 1 Short Head
7	Kaldoun Kingdom R A Fahey	Adam Beschizza 9st 10lbs	33 - 1 1/2 length
8	Signor Peltro H Candy	A Culhane 9st 5lbs	20 - 1 3/4 length
9	Rileyskeepingfaith M R Channon	C Catlin 9st 7lbs	12 - 1 Head
10	Poet's Place T D Barron	P Makin 9st 6lbs	15 - 2 Head
10	Damien B W Hills	R Winston 9st 4lbs	40 - 1 Dead Heat
12	Jimmy Styles C G Cox	A Kirby 9st 8lbs	33 - 1 Nose
13	Quest For Success R A Fahey	D Allan 9st 5lbs	25 - 1 Head
14	Prime Exhibit R A Fahey	Lee Topliss 9st 2lbs	33 - 1 Short Head
15	Hawkeyethenoo J S Goldie	T E Durcan 9st 2lbs	8 - 1 Neck
16	Striking Spirit D Nicholls	T P O'Shea 9st 4lbs	25 - 1 1/2 length
17	Castles In The Air R A Fahey	B McHugh 9st 8lbs	50 - 1 3/4 length
18	Evens And Odds D Nicholls	Billy Cray 9st 9lbs	22 - 1 Head
19	Johannes R A Fahey	P Mulrennan 9st 1lbs	33 - 1 Short Head
20	Barney McGrew M Dods	D Swift 9st 10lbs	40 - 1 Neck
21	Flipando T D Barron	L Newman 9st 3lbs	66 - 1 Head
22	Partner D Marnane	E J McNamara 9st 2lbs	25 - 1 1/2 length
23	Damika R M Whitaker	M Stainton 9st 3lbs	66 - 1 3/4 length
24	Parisian Pyramid K A Ryan	J P Spencer 9st 4lbs	22 - 1 3 1/2 lengths
25	Arganil K A Ryan	P McDonald 9st 1lbs	33 - 1 1 1/2 length
26	Noverre To Go Tom Dascombe	Ross Atkinson 9st 2lbs	16 - 1 6 lengths
NonRunner	Tajneed D Nicholls	M Geran 9st 9lbs

WILLIAM HILL (AYR) GOLD CUP FACTS

• The first two runnings of the Ayr Gold Cup in 1804 and 1805 were won by Chancellor, owned by the Marquess of Ailsa
• Dazzle won the race three times in the 1870s it was owned by the Duke of Montrose.
• The first Ayr Gold Cup was run over a distance of two miles and the race was still run over one mile three furlongs until 1907 when it was changed to six furlongs.
• The reason for the change in distance was that the Duke of Montrose wanted his horse Raeberry to have a better chance of winning the race.
• The Duke's plans were scuppered when Charis won the race, the first time it had been run on the current course.
• Trainer Jack Jarvis won the race three times in a row – twice before the Second World War and once after it.
• The Peter O'Sullevan owned Be Friendly won the race in 1967 as a three year old.
• Neither Lester Piggott or Willie Carson rode a winner in the race although Willie's grandson William Carson rode Regal Parade to win in 2008.
• The last Scottish trained winner of the race was Roman Warrior in 1975, trained by Nigel Angus at Cree Lodge, Ayr and ridden by Johnny Seagrave.
• Nigel had previously won the race with Swinging Junior, ridden by Hamilton-born apprentice Richard Hutchison who now drives a black cab in Ayr.
• The Ayr Gold Cup is the richest sprint handicap in Europe with £150,000 in prizemoney
• It is the top 5 races for Betting Turnover.
• More than 900,000 viewers tune in to Channel 4's coverage of the race.
• William Hill (Ayr) Gold Cup Saturday boasts the biggest attendance of any flat race meeting in Scotland – 2010 attendance expected to be in excess of 12,000.