MOST of the leading training operations in the country are planning a massive Ayr raid.

Powerful teams of horses are heading from the south to battle it out for the top prize-money on offer at the eagerly anticipated William Hill Ayr Gold Cup Festival later this month.

Godolphin, Hamdan Al Maktoum, Qatar Racing and Al Shaqab Racing have so far this season won more than £8 million in prize money between them and will be looking to add to that by taking some more riches at the Festival which runs from Thursday September 17 until Saturday September 19.

Al Qatar Racing won the Group 3 William Hill Firth Of Clyde Stakes last year with the Ann Duffield-trained Dark Reckoning and will be bidding to retain it with Thursday’s Salisbury winner La Rioja from the Henry Candy yard. This filly looks an exciting prospect and connections are keen for her to land Scotland’s only group race, which has £65,000 in the prize fund.

The £50,000 Shadwell Stud EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes is the target for Al Shaqab’s Easton Angel, trained by Michael Dods while the £180,000 William Hill Ayr Gold Cup is the race that Hamdan Al Maktoum has pencilled in for both Mubtaghaa, trained by Willie Haggas or Tanzeel, from the Charles Hills yard.

And the famous blue silks of Godolphin will be represented in several races at the Festival including the £65,000 William Hill Doonside Cup which they have won several times over the past 10 years.

Top Yorkshire-based trainers Richard Fahey, David O’Meara and Mark Johnston are all sending powerful strings of horses to Ayr and Fahey trains Don’t Touch, the current 10/1 ante post favourite for the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup.

The indications are that the 2015 Festival will boast the highest quality of runners ever and that can be attributed to the massive £660,000 prize- money on offer.

Ayr Racecourse Managing Director David Brown said: “We took the decision to significantly increase prize-money at the Festival this year in the hope of attracting some leading horses from top stables and boosting the quality of runners.

“Already various trainers and owners have been stating their horses will be coming to Ayr later this month and this should greatly add to the spectacle and quality of Scotland’s most prestigious Flat Festival.” For the full story see this week's Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald.