Horse racing: Overturn aiming for Perth glory

The limited handicap is a new race on the calendar, and Donald McCain's popular seven-year-old, a creditable seventh in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, will be giving upwards of 5lb to his nine rivals.

He numbers the Scottish Champion Hurdle, Galway Hurdle, Northumberland Plate and Chester Cup on his CV, and was last seen finishing seventh in the Goodwood Cup, beaten less than four lengths.

McCain - speaking ahead of a Perth fixture that will see the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, aka Charles and Camilla, as guests of honour - said of Overturn: "He's grand at the moment. We backed off him for a week after Goodwood, but he's ready to go again. It's a good race for the time of year and it just shows that if you put up the money, you'll get the good horses.

"I was delighted with him at Goodwood and if I'm honest I was getting pretty excited for 100 yards or so. Richard Hughes said he didn't stop and he galloped all the way to the line.

"He ran a very good race and didn't get beaten far, so I was pleased. He'll run this weekend and I would think we'll then give him a nice break."

Plenty of focus will surround the Nicky Henderson-trained General Miller as he has his first start since November last year.

That no-show in the Greatwood Hurdle was his first since the Karinga Bay gelding finished fourth in a Grade One novice event at Punchestown in April that year. Prior to that he had unseated in the Supreme Novices' at Cheltenham before hitting the mark at Aintree, and remains an exciting prospect.

Owner Henry Ponsonby said: "I'm quite pleased Overturn is in the race as it's compressed the weights, which suits us, and he should set a good pace. I understand Barry Geraghty has cut his holiday short to ride and hopefully he'll run a big race. He hasn't run since November but he didn't have a serious problem, it was more of a niggle really. It was just the timing of it that rather wrote off the season.

"We actually decided to prepare him for this race in February and the horse has very good form. He beat Menorah in a novice hurdle at level weights and we also beat Ghizao.

"He's in good order and he's won first time out twice. He's done tremendously well physically and the fact that he missed most of last season may be a blessing in disguise with the future in mind. We'll take it a race at a time, but it could be that after Saturday he'll go over fences."

Noble Alan was not out of it when falling three from home in the Vote A.P Gold Cup at Cheltenham on his penultimate start in December, and Nicky Richards is hoping the ground does not come up too soft.

The Greystoke handler said: "Donald runs the good horse (Overturn] and that suits me as it keeps the weight down for our lad and we'll see how we get on.Hopefully the ground isn't too soft.

"I've had him back in a good while and he's ready to run. The plan is to give him an early autumn campaign as he can't handle that winter ground.

"He might end up running in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November, but I want to give him a couple of runs beforehand.

"We'll see how he gets on this weekend but we have half thought about going for the Italian Champion Hurdle with him.

"I think Craig (Bennett, owner] is going to have a word with Luca Cumani and see what he thinks of it. That isn't until the backend of November, but we'll just have to see."

Like Overturn, Australia Day is a versatile performer, having had his last two runs on the Flat at Ascot, most recently in the Shergar Cup. His trainer Paul Webber said: "Denis (O'Regan] schooled the horse earlier in the week and everything went fine.

"It's not going to be easy to win a handicap off 155 but there are so few opportunities he's going to have to have a go at this race."

Stuart Crawford has booked Paul Townend for his Irish raider Now This Is It.

Crawford said: "He's probably best over a bit further and Perth is sharp enough, but he has plenty of speed and two miles shouldn't be a problem. Having a couple of the bigger names running does mean he gets in off a nice weight."