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Binocular should pish up here if anywhere near peak fitness.
I’m a big admirer of Peddlers Cross but I think McCain is wasting his time going down the Champion Hurdle route. I just can’t see him being quick enough. Having seen this horse win his p2p I think he should be going for what at this moment in time looks like a winnable Arkle.
Peddler’s Cross won that very easy. Everytime Starluck came he just laughed at him.
Very disappointing effort by Binocular, poor infact and he seemed to travel well enough. Happened before though, but Peddler’s Cross seems much better than Go Native.
I thought Binocular ran a great race. Travelled really well, blew up and will be much better next time. I’d ignore EVERYTHING he does between now and March – the only time we’ll see the real Binocular this term will be at Cheltenham I suspect.
Peddlers Cross very likeable but no 5/1 shot for the CH at this stage for me.
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I’m not so sure David.
There wasn’t exactly a champion Hurdle pace on which should have suited Starluck and to some extent Binocular.
You could easily forgive Binocular as he really needs to take it up sooner than AP was prepared to today or perhaps could’
However he should have been able to at least give them a race but Peddlars Cross has murdered both him and Starluck for toe not quickening once in the race but 3 times.
While Binocular didn’t look fully wound up he was fairly straight which I would normally agree would see him get his revenge at Cheltenham.
However 2 miles round Cheltenham with a strong gallop will play as much if not more to to Peddlar’s Cross’s strengths than it will to Binoculars.
With that in mind I would actually make him favourite for the Champion Hurdle. Very very impressed!
I think the Fighting fifth is a very poor guide for the Champion Hurdle…its a early season speed race on a flat course. Could not be more different from the tight up and down course at the festival with a real good pace on and all horse’s ready to run for their lives.
Still the winner is good and has festival form so fans of Peddler’s have every right to be confident
Good performance by Peddlars Cross today, shows he has the gears for 2m, I think Binocular ran a very satisfactory race considering his trainers comments before the race. Should be a terrific race come March and as I have said previously I expect Menorah to be a contender too.
JohnJ
After watching ATR and Luke Harvey’s comments last night after seeing binocular at Nicky’s yard, I got on Peddler’s cross for the Champion Hurdle.
Satisfactory run from the champion, and will still follow him come Cheltenham however.
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I think the Fighting fifth is a very poor guide for the Champion Hurdle…its a early season speed race on a flat course. Could not be more different from the tight up and down course at the festival with a real good pace on and all horse’s ready to run for their lives.
Still the winner is good and has festival form so fans of Peddler’s have every right to be confident
I’d normally be the first to agree with you. Most early season form isn’t worth a bucket of manure but this horse might just be a bit special.
Long time since we’ve had an unbeaten horse win the Champion Hurdle
As far as the Fighting Fifth go it’s thrown up some really messy races but at least 1/2 dozen Champion Hurdle winners have won it in the past.
Nice to see the winner getting some praise and credit for what he did today.
Binocular will no doubt come on for the run, but Peddlars Cross looks to be a very useful horse.
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A refreshingly honest and accepting appraisal, Fist. You’re clearly learning
The way the race was run (slow pace on a flat track) wouldn’t have suited Peddlers Cross at all and approaching the last he looked like a sitting duck for a horse with a turn of foot. Neither Binocular nor Starluck could find one of sufficient magnitude though and whilst I appreciate that the former will come on for the run, the winner wasn’t exactly 100%.
He’ll be hard to beat in March; even if something does get him off the bridle, it’ll take one hell of an effort to get by.
Oh that pesky binocular!
Who dares back against him come March?
I suspect if he only wins one race this season it’ll be the big one.
However, I agree with those that think Peddlers is superior. He should have been least suited by the race conditions but still put the oppo to the sword.
Binny is a a bit of a dodgepot though. It appears he is never fully wound up until Cheltenham…pretty crazy seeing that he is running in group 1’s.
Zip
Still gutted I wasn’t standing at my yearly spot at the winning post at Newcastle watching Peddler’s Cross win it but still thought it was an interesting race.
Binocular, as ever, predictably unpredictable. However, I reckon Henderson’s going down the same route as last season and using the likes of this as a prep for the big day in March. He looked, approaching the 2nd last, as though he was all over Peddler’s Cross, but found nothing when push came to shove. Suppose the same can be said of Starluck as well.
Peddler’s Cross was very impressive in my opinion. He kept on pulling more and more out and reminds me of another gritty 2 mile hurdler who was probably suited by a bit further, Brave Inca, just always seeming to pull more out when needed and I reckon he’ll definetely be in the shake up come March.
Come March though I know where my money will be going!
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Wouldn’t get too carried away with the form, personally.
Ignore Bincular’s run altogether for form purposes, and the winner was driven out to beat a horse who finished 12l adrift in last season’s Champion. Not to forget that Go Native won this far easier last season, and went off fav for the big one, but all he saw was Binny’s tail in the distance.Can’t remember Istabraq pissing away races like Binocular did today. Looked different in his coat though, thats about it.
Peddler’s Cross battled well to win – although I don’t think Binocular was quite spot on for this time of year. The positions could well be reversed come March.
The of course, Little Menorah, whose attitude towards racing reminds me of the great Monksfield, could well prove the fly in the Champion Hurdle ointment.
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