Simon Holt on the Chester Cup

One of the best of the species to win under three codes was the swashbuckling Overturn who, after scoring twice on the Flat for the late Walter Swinburn, racked up a catalogue of big-race successes for Cheshire trainer Donald McCain, son of the legendary 'Ginger' who won four Grand Nationals with Red Rum and Amberleigh House.

Displays of flamboyant, front-running versatility began in the 2010 Scottish Champion Hurdle, followed by a heroic, unchallenged Northumberland Plate win (from a wide draw) back on the Flat, and then, a month later, he crossed the Irish Sea to win the Galway Hurdle.

At the beginning of this week, which features the 200th running of the (Duke Of Westminster supporting) Chester Cup on Friday, it is worth celebrating such an unusual horse - and a past winner of the meeting's signature race.

After running in the Christmas Hurdle, Champion Hurdle and Scottish Champion in the first few months of 2011 when McCain upheld the family tradition by winning the National with Ballabriggs, Overturn produced another trail-blazing performance round the Roodee where he was kicked clear from three furlongs out.

And, 12 months later carrying 9st10lb on unsuitably soft ground, he failed by just under two lengths to hold off his stable companion Ile De Re, who then followed up in the Northumberland Plate.

In between, Overturn won the Coral Hurdle at Ascot, beat Binocular in the Fighting Fifth, finished second in the International, third to Binocular in the Christmas Hurdle and second to Rock On Ruby in the Champion Hurdle.

And, switched to fences in the 2012/13 campaign, the then nine-year-old won his first three novice chases, ran in the Arkle and, on his final career start, finished second to the future Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Special Tiara in the Grade One Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree.

Now, that's what you call a career.

As most trainers would be inclined to do, McCain was keen to restrict Overturn's headstrong tendencies but, after a few early defeats, it was clear the horse had only one way of running.

He said: "Initially, we tried to get him to relax but it didn't really work. So we decided to just let him run and I told the jockeys to just go hard enough on him as he would keep going.

"In the Chester Cup, I asked Eddie Ahern to just send him and he was brilliant. And, but for the rail being out a few yards, he would probably have broken the course record."

No desire to sell horse of a lifetime

Overturn's Chester Cup win came off a handicap rating of 99, 6lb higher than at Newcastle in the Northumberland Plate, and today he would almost certainly have been snapped up by buyers seeking a Melbourne Cup horse.

McCain recalls: "We had a small approach for him but (owner) Tim Leslie wasn't tempted. Tim never judged me or challenged me for running the horse for the right reasons but, looking back, I'm not sure if we appreciated him enough at the time."

The reason for this was that McCain, during the same glorious period, also trained the Leslie-owned Peddlers Cross who won as a novice at the Cheltenham Festival and then chased home Hurricane Fly in the 2011 Champion Hurdle.

"Overturn couldn't lace the boots of Peddlers Cross on the gallops", he remembers. "But he was remarkably tough. He turned up every morning and never let us down.

"When he won the Chester Cup it was particularly enjoyable as my childhood hero had been Sea Pigeon, who won the race twice. To emulate such a brilliant horse in a small way, was something really special.”

After his fine second to Special Tiara at Aintree, Overturn pulled up lame with a hind suspensory ligament injury. McCain tried to get him back the following jumps season but the problem flared up again and he was retired.

Now, at the age of 20, he remains under the care of his loving owner, along with his long-time galloping companion Peddlers Cross.

It's the happiest and most deserved later life for two wonderful racehorses and a source of solace for their trainer: "If ever I need a quiet moment, I love to go and see them."

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