Everyone here at Ayr Racecourse is very sorry to hear of the sad loss of Mike Smith’s marvellous 11-year-old Glasses Up and our condolences go to everyone at the Smith yard in Galston, as well as the horse’s enthusiastic group of owners who go by the collective name of The Jolly Beggars.

Glasses Up won 12 times here at Ayr to establish a post-WWII record for the number of races won here by a single horse and he was always a popular runner with racegoers who saw him race here on 56 occasions over more than 8 years, with those 12 fantastic wins supplemented by 6 second places and 6 thirds.

The former Joseph O’Brien inmate won his first race here in June 2018 under his subsequently 6-times winning rider Paddy Mathers and his final success came in July this year when apprentice Shay Farmer coaxed him home in front to tumultuous applause from owners and racegoers alike.

Ben Curtis, Joanna Mason, David Allan, Sean Kirrane and Jason Hart were the other jockeys who rode the horse to victory here at Ayr, with the tough-as-teak gelding’s only other win being recorded under Curtis at Musselburgh in July 2021.

Glasses Up has set a very difficult target of 12 wins for any horse to match or overtake here at Ayr and it’s to connections great credit that the horse enjoyed a terrific racing career which stretched to 112 races and 13 successes.