AYR are still counting the cost of losing their big autumn meeting to the weather. At Haydock on Saturday, the big handicap, the Ayr Gold Cup, was taken over by 32Red at Haydock on Saturday and, although the first prize was some way sort of the original, connections of Andrew Balding’s 13/2 shot Donjuan Triumphant will not be complaining about a purse of over £56,000.

It was still run in heavy ground and as they entered the closing stages it looked as if Dean Ivory’s Stake Acclaim had done enough. However, he was hard driven, edged left and was short-headed by the flying Donjuan Triumphant, who came from a long way back under P. J. McDonald.