ASK any northern-based Flat trainer which race he or she would like to win the most and over 90 per cent of them will say the Ayr Gold Cup within the blink of an eye.

This year’s renewal is a cracker.

It features the first two home from last season, along with this year’s Stewards Cup winner, five last-time-out winners and a few that could make into Group horses, like the 2008 winner Regal Parade did.

David Nicholls saddles five and he knows how to win it better than most, with five victories in the last nine runnings of the prestigious race.

Nicholls’ stable jockey, and son, Adrian has opted to ride the flying three-year-old Victoire De Lyphar, twice a winner from only three starts this season since joining the sprint king.

While I respect his chances, I think another Thirsk trainer, David Barron, could hold the trump card with Poet’s Place.

Barron, one of the shrewdest trainers around, also saddles recent York winner Hitchens and Flipando but his main chance is with the very lightly-raced fiveyear- old, who was an impressive winner of the Portland Handicap at Doncaster last Saturday. The 5lb penalty he picked up for that success ensured him a place in today’s line-up.

For me, he could well be a Group horse running in a handicap and his regular jockey, Philip Makin, thinks along the same lines, saying: “I’ve always thought this horse could be top-class and last week he proved he isn’t far away.

“A lot of luck is required and you never know what the best draw is, but I wouldn’t swap him for anything in the line-up as I really believe in him.”

Of the dangers, Hawkeyethenoo will be popular for Scottish trainer Jim Goldie. The four-year-old has also got a very progressive profile and this race has been the aim for some time.

Once the dust has settled on the Gold Cup there is another good race at 4.30, when eight runners will face the starter for the Doonside Cup, a Listed race over ten furlongs.

A chance is taken here with the Howard Johnson-trained Prospect Wells.

The five-year-old had very solid form in his native France and looked the part when winning on his debut run for Johnson at Pontefract earlier in the summer.

Although he disappointed in The Ebor last time out, jockey Paul Mulrennan blames the fast ground at the Knavesmire and thinks the gelding can bounce back to form.

“I was very easy on him at York last time out because of the ground and will hold him in good stead here,” he said.

“He is still fresh compared with some of his rivals and the ground should be spot on for him. “Some people are saying we could get heavy rain. I hope so because the softer the better for him.”