Overturn profits from Oscar Whisky tumble
Report: Ascot, Saturday
Coral Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m3½f, 4yo+
MANY shrewd judges fancied Overturn to beat the favourite Oscar Whisky, but in the end it was an easy success for Donald McCain's charge after the market leader tipped up at the last when challengingthe winner, who was able to canter home from his trailing rivals.
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Thankfully both Oscar Whisky and his jockey Barry Geraghty were okay.
Overturn's win was a fourth this week for Jason Maguire, who is making a fine comeback on his return from injury.
Giving away 8lb, Oscar Whisky was the 5-6 favourite at the off despite a few pundits, including the Racing Post's Gerald Delamere, putting up Overturn. Having duelled throughout coming to the last there was still nothing between them, but Geraghty's mount stepped at the final flight and paid the penalty.
Geraghty still thought he might have got it. “I felt that if I’d flown the last we’d have won, but if I just popped it we’d have probably been second. It was a great run from him giving weight and he’ll come on alot for it.”
Maguire, though, was taking nothing away from his mount. "His main strength is his hurdling, it's so slick. I was waiting for Oscar Whisky and I knew he would be following me into the straight. I thought hewould come there cantering but I heard Barry give him a couple of smacks."
The result was no more than the 5-2 winner deserved, and there is fair chance he would have won had Oscar Whisky stood up as that one had made quite a fewmistakes up to the time of his departure and was looking a bit tired.
It is clear that this trip suits Overturn well. Having fallen just below the highest class over 2m, it will be interesting if connections now start thinking about stepping him up further in distance as he does stay well.
The rest of the field was well beaten with For Non Stop filling the runner-up spot.
The Paul Nicholls-trained King Of The Night found this step up in class too much and he was passed on the run-in for third by Katchit, who ran on well having been badly outpaced at one point.
It was a satisfactory return from the 2008 Champion Hurdle winner, but veteran Lough Derg was not so enthusiastic. The old boy was quickly being scrubbed along from the start and couldn't keep up as the pace quickened passing the stands, looking a shadow of his former self, and he was pulled up at the eighth.
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