McGrew and Kingdom top weights

Nick Robson

Barney McGrew and Kaldoun Kingdom will carry joint top weight in the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup tomorrow. All the major ante-post fancies have stood their ground in the valuable six-furlong sprint. David Barron's impressive Portland Handicap winner Poet's Place and his stablemate Hitchens will both carry a penalty. Phillip Makin stays loyal to Poet's Place with Silvestre de Sousa coming in for the ride on Hitchens.

All the major ante-post fancies have stood their ground in the valuable six-furlong sprint.

David Barron's impressive Portland Handicap winner Poet's Place and his stablemate Hitchens will both carry a penalty. Phillip Makin stays loyal to Poet's Place with Silvestre de Sousa coming in for the ride on Hitchens.

Roger Charlton's Genki goes into the race with arguably the best form having finished third in the Group One Haydock Sprint Cup.

Last year's winner Jimmy Styles has another crack but he does not appear to be in the same heart as 12 months ago.

David Nicholls is normally the man to follow in this race and he has five chances this year -- Stewards' Cup winner Evens And Odds, Ripon winner Tajneed, Striking Spirit, three-year-old Victoire De Lyphar and Redford, the intended mount of Frankie Dettori.

Jim Goldie's Hawkeyethenoo will give the home crowd something to cheer while the likes of Knot In Wood, Rileyskeepingfaith, Damika and the sole Irish raider Partner are others among the 27 to note.

Ante-post fancies Definightly and Irish Heartbeat missed the cut and will instead line up in the consolation race.

CHOICE

The draw was televised live on Racing UK and Henry Candy's Signor Peltro was first out of the hat, with Candy instructing his representative to go for stall 22.

Nicholls had two of his out early with Victoire De Lyphar going from stall 24 and Evens And Odds placed in stall 21.

Hitchens was another out early with Barron bucking the trend and going for stall eight with stablemate Flipando in stall 26, giving the handler one on each side of the track.

David Marnane's Partner will go from stall six while Jimmy Styles will break from 14, one away from last year's winning stall 15.

Hawkeyethenoo will have a choice of going high or low from his stall 16 berth as he attempts to become the first Scottish winner since Roman Warrior, 35 years ago.

The favourite, Poet's Place, was last out of the hat and will break from stall 12.

Goldie was not disheartened by the draw for Hawkeyethenoo, despite him being in the middle.

"I was hoping we didn't come out too early as then you've got plenty of options," said Goldie. "Normally the stands' side is the place to be after two days racing. but Jimmy Styles came out of 15 last year and from somewhere like that you can go either side."

Barron is not concerned about Poet's Place being the last horse out of the hat.

"I don't think it matters and it isn't my fault," said the Thirsk trainer.