Donald McCain overturns Northumberland Plate field
There was a time when the name McCain was synonymous only with Aintree.
That was in the days when Ginger McCain and Red Rum ruled the roost. McCain’s son, Donald, has long since stepped out from his father’s shadow, as evidenced by two winners at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
But McCain has always been ready to cast his net further and the richest staying Flat handicap in Europe was just too tempting a prize to let slip by, even when the luck of the draw appeared to have gone against him, and nothing stopped Overturn when winning the John Smith’s Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.
Nineteen runners and a short run to the first bend means that a good position from the start can be vital and there were plenty kicking quickly out of the stalls trying to get close to the pace.
Overturn, who proved himself a highly progressive hurdler through the last jumps season, had drifted in the market when he was drawn somewhere near the confectionary stall in stall 21. But Eddie Ahern was alive to the possibilities and, having got Overturn into his stride, performed the careful manoeuvre of edging across the field without causing any interference - while further down the line the favourite, Deauville Flyer got anything but a flyer and was stuck in the pack.
Ahern was now in the lead and in control down the back straight, easing up a little to give Overturn a breather, tracked by Royal Diamond and joined by Sabotage, the Godolphin runner for Saeed bin Suroor, who was carrying top weight of 9st 10lb. And Ahern still had plenty of horse under him as he swung into the home straight.
Overturn pulled a couple of lengths clear of his pursers, as those who had been off the early pace managed to weave a path through tiring horses. But Overturn was showing no signs of fatigue and still had enough to hold the runs of Drunken Sailor and Desert Sea to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths.
McCain and Overturn's owner, Tim Leslie, missed the big moment as their car was brought to a halt by a puncture on the M6 but the horse showed no signs of stopping for Ahern who said: “The plan was to make the running from a high draw and I was able to do that. I was able to dictate the pace. He’s a smashing horse - he gave me a lovely ride – and I was playing with them. I was able to go my own speed.”
At the other end of the scale the Group Three totesport.com Chipchase Stakes was just six furlongs and seven runners. But there was only ever one horse in it.
Despite the small field there was not a consensus over the best path to take as Paul Hanagan elected to race down the centre of the track on Knot In Wood while the rest of the rest followed Barney McGrew.
And that is exactly what they did all the way to the post because nothing could get on terms. Barney McGrew is not the easiest horse to judge and was never a factor in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot last Saturday but this time he came through to beat Himalya by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
However, a change of tactics worked the oracle as his jockey, Philip Makin, explained: “What a difference a week makes, last week he ran like a drain in the Wokingham. We changed the tactics a bit but the way he quickened at halfway they were going to have to go some pace to go by me,” he said.
Certainly overturned the form anyway.
http://www.senore.com/Chinese-White-looks-pretty-good-at-Curragh-a13880
http://www.senore.com/Premio-Loco-steams-in-for-Criterion-Stakes-win-a13877
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