McCain's turn for Royal assault

Donald McCain’s versatile performer Overturn is set to bid for Royal Ascot glory in the Queen Alexandra Stakes on Saturday week.

The seven-year-old enjoyed an excellent campaign in 2010, winning the Scottish Champion Hurdle, the Northumberland Plate and the Galway Hurdle.

A run in the Ebor proved to be one too many, but he turned in some decent efforts over the winter, notably finishing second to Binocular in the Christmas Hurdle.

He looked better than ever when making every yard of the running in the Chester Cup a month ago and McCain, a name more synonymous with the Grand National than the bluebloods of the Flat, is looking forward to donning his finery for the summer showpiece meeting.

“The plan is to go for the Queen Alexandra at the moment, providing he gets his ground,” said McCain.

“He’s come out of Chester really well and I don’t think he’d carry another penalty for winning that, so it makes sense for him to run at Ascot off his current mark.

“It’s two miles and five furlongs, which will be the longest he’s been, but if he does get the trip it will open up a lot more options for him when he goes back over hurdles in the winter.

“As I say, Ascot will be ground dependant. He’s still in the Northumberland Plate and if it turned out to be soft at Ascot, he could wait for Newcastle.

“He’ll only run in one of them and at the moment, it’s looking like Ascot.

“If he does get the trip, that does leave us the option of running over three miles when he goes back over hurdles. Something has to take on Big Buck’s!”