Overturn is hot on trail of Sea Pigeon at York

Yet, today, the quartet of Donald McCain, Alan King, Jonjo O'Neill and Gordon Elliott will bid to land the totesport Ebor – Europe's richest handicap and the centrepiece of York's four-day celebration of Flat racing.

And they have every chance of emulating Willie Mullins, another National Hunt stalwart, who trained Sesenta 12 months ago to deny his Flat counterparts.

Inevitably, most attention will focus, and deservedly so, on the audacious attempt by McCain's Overturn to add the Ebor to the Northumberland Plate and Galway Hurdle.

Described as a "machine" by Yorkshire jockey Graham Lee, who was in the saddle at Galway last month, this six-year-old – further boosted by a favourable outside draw – has earned comparisons with Sea Pigeon, the dual-purpose Malton horse who won both the Ebor and a Champion Hurdle three decades ago.

McCain, whose irrepressible father, Ginger, trained Grand National legend Red Rum, believes that his stable star has nothing to lose by lining up on Knavesmire.

"We've kept him going and he just seems to thrive on his racing – we've nothing to lose in a way," said McCain last night.

"If he doesn't win it's not the end of the world and he can go back jumping. I see he's rated 159 now (over jumps) and that is championship hurdle races."

The other worry is that Overturn's successes have come over two miles, and today's feature is two furlongs shorter. Big race jockey Eddie Ahern's biggest fear, however, appears to be the weather. He simply hopes the forecast rain bypasses York so this relentless galloper has every chance.

"He just loves the fast ground and I'm a bit worried about what way the ground is going to be at York," said Ahern, who partnered the six-year-old to his Northumberland Plate triumph.

"If there is rain, is it going to dent his speed?"

One horse likely to welcome any cut in the ground is The Betchworth Kid, who appeared to be overpriced earlier this week at 25-1.

Alan King's five-year-old is just 2lb higher for this year's renewal after having been desperately unfortunate 12 months ago.

The Betchworth Kid travelled sweetly in last year's Ebor, but found his late run continually blocked – eventually coming home seventh under Hayley Turner, with whom he is reunited today.

He then franked the form with a narrow success at Salisbury, after which the son of Tobougg was unhinged by a crawling pace in a Listed heat at Ascot.

As he is a textbook hold-up performer, The Betchworth Kid requires a brisk gallop from the outset, which he is almost certain to get.

And while it all went wrong in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham – he was struck into and lost a shoe – a nice comeback run in the Goodwood Cup served notice of his well-being ahead of today's run.

The fact that Gordon Elliott, who trained the 2007 National hero Silver Birch, a bargain buy at Doncaster Sales, has booked Jamie Spencer to ride Dirar suggests that he is not intending to make up the numbers.

Nor will Jonjo O'Neill, who supplied Tony McCoy's historic National win in April. He runs Centennial and is looking to complete a memorable double – O'Neill was in the saddle when Sea Pigeon landed the spoils in 1979 after a never-to-be-forgotten race that ended in a photo-finish when the jockey inexplicably dropped his hands in the shadow of the winning post.

But the one that they all have to beat is Martyr, the heavily-backed favourite from Richard Hannon's all-conquering Flat yard.

The mount of Hannon's in-form stable jockey Richard Hughes, Malton rider Paul Hanagan's closest pursuer in this year's title race, the five-year-old has found a new lease of life this summer, winning three of his last four starts.

Hughes says he would not swap Martyr for any other horse in the race, despite harbouring doubts earlier this year.

"I'd be the first one to say I never thought he was an Ebor horse," said Hughes.

"I'd been riding him over a mile-and-a-half and every time I rode him he was off the bridle half-a-mile out.

"Then when I rode him at Goodwood I was able to take a pull on him half-a-mile out, he absolutely loved that.

"He's as tough as a lion and you can ride him up in the first three and he stays.

"He's got everything you need in a horse to win the Ebor, he just needs good ground.

"I'm happy, I wouldn't swap him."