Ayr Racecourse will stage its September Finale Raceday on Tuesday, September 29, with a seven-race Flat programme scheduled from 2:08 PM to 5:13 PM. The card features contests for two-year-olds as well as three-year-olds and older horses, with distances ranging from six furlongs to one mile and seven furlongs. The programme will provide a varied afternoon of racing on the turf at Ayr.
The opening race at 2:08 PM will be the Christmas Party Day Dancing @ayr Racecourse Apprentice Handicap Stakes, a Class 5 contest over one mile. Open to three-year-olds and older horses rated 56-75, the race carries a prize of £8,000 and will provide apprentices with an opportunity to compete over the mile distance.
At 2:38 PM, the Weddings at Western House Hotel Maiden Stakes will bring the two-year-olds into action. The Class 4 contest is scheduled over six furlongs and carries a prize of £10,000. The race is restricted to two-year-old runners and will offer an early test of speed over the shorter distance.
The third race, at 3:08 PM, will be the Nairn’s Oatcakes Handicap Stakes, a Class 4 contest covering one mile and two furlongs. Open to three-year-olds and older horses rated 61-80, the race has a prize of £10,000. The additional distance will place greater emphasis on stamina and the ability to maintain a strong pace through the closing stages.
The programme continues at 3:38 PM with the Autumn Breaks at Western House Hotel Handicap Stakes. This Class 4 event will be run over seven furlongs and 50 yards and is open to three-year-olds and older horses rated 61-80. The race carries £9,000 in prize money and adds another middle-distance test to the afternoon card.
At 4:08 PM, runners will line up for the Book Your Event at Ayr Racecourse Handicap Stakes, a Class 6 contest over seven furlongs and 50 yards. Open to three-year-olds and older horses rated 46-65, the race is worth £7,000. The contest will provide another opportunity for horses competing within the lower rating band to tackle the Ayr turf.
The sixth race is scheduled for 4:40 PM and will be the Book Racing on Saturday 31 October Handicap Stakes. This Class 4 event will be run over six furlongs and carries a prize of £10,000. It is open to three-year-olds and older horses rated 61-80, bringing the afternoon back to a sharp sprinting distance.
The card will conclude at 5:13 PM with the Racing TV Handicap Stakes, a Class 6 contest over one mile and seven furlongs. Open to three-year-olds and older horses rated 46-65, the race carries £7,000 and will provide the longest-distance test of the day. The extended trip is expected to place particular emphasis on stamina and consistency.
The Ayr programme therefore offers a broad mixture of racing, from the six-furlong contests for younger and older horses to the extended 1m 7f finale. The £10,000 contests include the two-year-old maiden, the one-mile-two-furlong handicap and the closing sprint, while the final race provides the longest challenge of the afternoon.
The September Finale Raceday marks another Flat fixture at Ayr following the course’s major September festival, with Flat racing scheduled to conclude at the track with meetings on September 29 and October 8.
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