One of the year's most highly anticipated and popular horse racing events has been abandoned due to a waterlogged course.

The Ayr Gold Cup day was due to take place on Saturday but has been scrapped following an early morning inspection.

It's the first time in the history of the event that the whole festival has been called off after Thursday and Friday's meetings were also abandoned.

The course was inspected by Chris Dennis, BHA northern course inspector, PJ McDonald, the northern jockey safety officer and Ayr Racecourse officials.

Although they found that there had been marginal improvement in the area affected, it was clear to them that there was no option but to abandon the remainder of the meeting.

The rest of the course was heavy but racecable and work will start immediately to determine whether there is an underlining problem at the two and a half furlong marker.

The track was in good condition on Wednesday but the rainfall that evening and into Thursday morning caused major waterlogging two-and-a-half furlongs into the track.

An unprecedented total of 180mm - seven inches - of rain had fallen at Ayr in the past five weeks and there is a further 6mm of rain forecast today.

Full refunds will be given on all tickets purchased, however anyone who has purchased a ticket has been invited along to the course to watch racing from Newbury, Newmarket and Catterick on big screens.

The racecourse have promised "fantastic entertainment" throughout the day and evening with bars and facilities open in the main stand.

Gates will open at 11am and no more admissions will be allowed after 2pm.

Anyone coming along have been asked to bring their tickets from either Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

Ayr Racecourse managing director David Brown said staff were "devastated" at losing the three-day festival.

He said : "Everyone on the Ayr Racecourse team is devastated to lose Scotland's biggest Flat meeting. Unfortunately after the unprecedented levels of rain that fell at the track we had no option but to abandon.

"This not only has an effect on everyone at the track but throughout the racing industry and also to the area where this Festival is one of the busiest weekends of the year."