IT was a day of firsts for this running of the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup.

The first dead heat meant the owners of Son Of Rest and Baron Bolt shared the famous old trophy, and split what became a prize pot of £161,780.

Bookies favourite Son Of Rest also became the first Irish winner of the race. And we probably had the first party political speech from a winning trainer.

Fozzy Stack looked a relieved but happy man when the judges gave him a share of the top prize after what seemed like an agonising wait. We don’t do on-the-line decisions well in Scotland.

But Stack was quick to voice his concerns, on behalf of many within the horse racing industry, about where Brexit might leave those bringing their horses from the Republic of Ireland in the future.

“It’s great to be a small part of history. He [Son Of Rest] ran a good race last week but he hasn’t done much this week. It took us 11 hours to get here,” said added Stack, whose charge arrived on Thursday.

“We’ve gone through Belfast to here [Scotland], all the territories that don’t want Brexit.

“How long will that take in the future through border points, wherever they put them?

“The bloodstock industry is huge. How many yearlings are going to be sold at Tattersalls from Ireland this week, and how many people are going to Goffs and Fairyhouse in the next couple of weeks to buy horses and get them home?

“That has to be a big financial concern to everybody.”

It appeared as if much of Ayrshire was in attendance for the William Hill Gold Cup Festival’s jewel in the crown, delivered to the door by various means: charabanc, stretch limo, super stretch limo, taxi, coach and even helicopter.

You worked out what kind of day some were intent on having when they were taking selfies and snap shots of the front and back of the bus which had deposited them to the venue, just so they would be able to identify their mode of transport back to where they came from. This was of course, assuming they were still coherent enough to operate their mobile phones.

With the chaps suited and booted but without socks (must be an Ayrshire thing) many of the young ladies appeared to have decided this September date qualified as late summer, rather than autumn. The smiles looked false. Not because of the teeth whitening, but because the involuntary shaking as body temperatures plummeted were impossible to disguise. It did though, warm up significantly during the afternoon.

Those who had the VIP tickets made their way to the on-site hospitality. Those without made use of the off-site catering. McDonald’s is strategically placed across the car park for those who want to have a good time on a budget, while the sandwich stand in the equally nearby Tesco was doing a roaring trade in baguettes.

The scene, then, was set on what was going to be a fantastic day of racing.

In keeping with some of the fashion statements being made, it was perhaps apt that Snazzy Jazzy won the Ayr Silver Cup.

But the day was capped by a dramatic Gold Cup handicap. Run over just six furlongs, it is the proverbial cavalry charge.

Out of the stalls, the field congregated in three packs, on the stand side, down the centre, and on the far rail, but approaching two furlongs out most had gravitated towards the packed grandstands.

Son Of Rest, just a week after finishing second in Group One company, was at the back of the pack at two from home, but under Chris Hayes, accelerated though to pick up the lead and go away from the rest, only for Baron Bolt, a 28/1 shot steered by Cam Noble, to mount a late attack.

For a split second, he looked to have edged out the 5/1 favourite in a photo finish.

Indeed, the race appeared to take less time than the adjudication, which after an agonising wait for jockeys, trainers, owners and punters, eventually declared the race a dead-heat between Son Of Rest and Baron Bolt.

Flying Pursuit was third and Get Knotted was fourth.

It was Noble’s first win at Ayr, but Hayes was the more relieved.

“As we hit the line I thought Cam had got me,” Hayes said, adding with a smile: “I thought I was a flared nostril off the P45 there for a second.”