Peddlers Cross to face three opponents in Haydock Champion Trial
Peddlers Cross will compete against only three rival horses in the Stanjames.com Champion Hurdle Trial this Saturday at Haydock. This trial is the first of two races, both of which are to be held on the weekend and could have a considerable effect on the
betting for the actual Champion hurdle in March.
While Hurricane Fly, another possible contender against Peddlers Cross for the Hurdle, is to compete against Solwhit at Leopardstown on Sunday. Peddlers Cross has the chance to ensure his participation first in the Champion Hurdle by winning the Grade 2
event at Haydock.
Trained by Donald McCain, the Peddlers Cross, at the age of only six years, has not been beaten in all five races over hurdles that he participated in and has the top weight of 11 stone and 12 pounds, which is 8 pounds more than Walkon’s, Washington Irving’s
and Ruthenoise’s weight.
Peddlers Cross’s official rating of 162 puts him 14 pounds above Walkon, who is set to return after taking a rather lengthy break of 660 days and holds a position as a participant at Ascot as a possible alternative even if only as a second choice, and weighs
more than 30 pounds than all the other competing horses.
Peddlers Cross is as short as 6-1 on his chances for the Champion Hurdle which will be the second race of this horse racing season. His first start was the Stanjames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newbury in November of last year from Starluck and Binocular.
Peddlers Cross achieved an easy victory at this Hurdle.
Trainer McCain also has a tough entrant at hand for the Grade 2 Liverpool Echo Novices’ Chase in the colt, Wymott, who has won both chase starts that he had taken part in this horse racing season and holds general 16-1 odds for the RSA Chase which was at
the Cheltenham Festival.
The horse, at seven years of age, faces four equals in the 2 miles and 4 furlongs contest which include Wishfull Thinking and Robinson Collonges, both of whom are trained by Philip Hobbs and Paul Nicholls, respectively.
Meanwhile, Nicky Henderson-trained Gibb River is set to face eight rivals in the other Grade 2 novice event to be held at Haydock, the Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle over two miles. Gibb River aims to extend his yet unbeaten record over hurdles to three
by winning this event.
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