McPeek Hit By Oil Spill

Drilling For Oil looks virtually certain to miss his trip over from America for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the end of the month.

His Kentucky-based trainer Kenny McPeek greatly enjoyed bringing Hard Buck to finish second to Doyen in the Ascot showpiece three years ago and is keen to return.

However, the four-year-old colt, a winner of the Grade Three Louisville Handicap in May, has picked up an injury which will rule him out of the same prep race McPeek used with Hard Buck in 2004.

'Right now, it looks like he´s not coming,' McPeek told PA Sport.

'He was supposed to work on Saturday but he wrenched an ankle. We had to cancel what would have been his last workout before the United Nations at Monmouth and if he misses that, it´s doubtful he´ll come.

'It´s a minor thing, but he´s going to miss about 30 days, and 30 days is pretty significant at this point.

'We´ll try to bring him next year. I´ll try to point him for a race in late summer or fall now.'

McPeek has been in the wilderness for a while, and added: 'You are going to see more of me in the next few years as I try to build my stable back up.

'At one point I had 160 horses spread over the country but I shut it down and took a bit of a sabbatical. I re-grouped and put a training centre together that is very European.

'I wish I had better news ? I love coming over.'

(C) PA Sport