RACING:THAT EXTRA aura which comes with being an unbeaten champion is more of a flat racing concept than a National Hunt one but Peddlers Cross can generate plenty of it by landing today's Stan James Champion Hurdle.
In a sport where even the greatest icon of all, Arkle, was beaten five times before his first Gold Cup triumph, Peddlers Cross brings an intangible tingle to the day one festival feature. The late defection of the title-holder, Binocular, has robbed the race of a vital ingredient but it still remains perhaps the most eagerly awaited highlight of the entire week.
Ireland’s Hurricane Fly and Somerset’s Menorah remain at the top of the betting, while Dunguib fills the role of “dark horse” this time, in contrast to last year’s banker status which he failed to bring off.
Hurricane Fly’s stable companion, Thousand Stars, is the other Irish hope for a championship the raiders haven’t secured since Sublimity won in 2007 but in a contest full of proven quality it is Peddlers Cross that remains something of an unknown quantity.
Victorious in six hurdles and a bumper for trainer Donald McCain, as well as in a Liscarroll point-to-point two years ago, Peddlers Cross is a proven Cheltenham Festival hero from last year’s Neptune and graduated to the top level when getting the better of Starluck and Binocular in November’s Fighting Fifth.
He warmed up for today’s task with a workmanlike success at Kelso on his reappearance and presents a profile for today that makes him an automatic leading contender while at the same time leaving open the intriguing possibility there could be so much more to come.
That promise has not been built on innumerable times in racing history but when it comes off, like with Nijinsky at Epsom or Seattle Slew in Kentucky, it brings that little bit extra to the pot.
What is encouraging is Peddlers Cross’s racing style combines the flash of a high cruising speed and the grit of an disinclination towards winning too far. And as a Neptune winner he is following in the tried and trusted footprints of former champions such as Istabraq and Hardy Eustace.
Peddlers Cross has been to the forefront of breaking Donald McCain out of the shadow of his father Ginger, who trained the Grand National legend Red Rum. But the younger man has illustrated repeatedly he is at the forefront of his profession and he was in ultra-optimistic form yesterday.
“Touch wood, since Kelso, everything has been great. He’s done a little bit of work this morning upsides and he looks good and seems well and happy. We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed.
“I’m not going to say I wish Binocular was in the race, obviously, as it’s one less to take on. But at the same time, I wouldn’t have had any qualms about taking him on if he was in the race. I was a little bit worried about sending him to Kelso but thankfully he has definitely gone the right way,” McCain said.
Having the Galway Hurdle hero Overturn in the race too means pace won’t be an issue for Peddlers Cross, who is again united with jockey Jason Maguire.
Ruby Walsh is back on Hurricane Fly, who faces the ultimate test of his credentials after a season spent up to now beating up Solwhit. The value of that form will be found out today although there are plenty close to the Willie Mullins camp who won’t hear of defeat for the horse.
What could be a worry though is how the champion trainer’s runners haven’t quite been scoring in the last couple of weeks with the regularity they were during the winter. Mullins also had a couple of odds-on favourites beaten at Limerick on Sunday.
That is not encouraging in circumstances where you want everything right, a situation that seems to apply to Menorah. The Hobbs runner has been faultless this season and looks a different animal to the one that surprised Dunguib in last year’s Supreme. Unbeaten in three starts at Cheltenham, Menorah looks impossible to keep out of the frame.
Dunguib could surprise a lot of people given a true pace and a clean round of jumping. But come 3.30pm this afternoon it will be no surprise if jump racing is saluting a new unbeaten champion.
Champion Hurdle trio
Winner Peddlers Cross
Second Menorah
Third Dunguib
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