Horse Racing: Absence of Binocular means all eyes should be trained on Peddlers

Donald McCain's unbeaten six-year-old had already beaten Nicky Henderson's charge in the rearranged Fighting Fifth back in November and while last year's champion had the usual excuses trotted out about not being fit, McCain said the same of his star turn.

Peddlers Cross has everything you look for in a champion hurdler. He has won at the Festival before, he stays further than two miles, but he also has the pace to lie up with the best over the minimum distance.

With stablemate Overturn in the field, an end-to-end gallop is assured, so this is going to be a real test.

While it seems a strange thing to say about a horse with winning form over two and a half miles, Hurricane Fly might have questions to answer up the hill. The Irish races he has been winning have all been run at a dawdle early on, where he can use his superior speed to kill of opponents, but he may be taken out of his comfort zone now.

Menorah has a dreadful statistic to overcome in that it is well over 30 years since the last Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner followed up the following year in the Champion.

Winners of the longer novice hurdle, however, fare better. Istabraq and Hardy Eustace are two recent examples.

The best bet on the card on the first day appears to be Alan King's Medermit in the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy. Granted, this horse refused earlier in the season but he has looked a reformed character since then. On his last start at Sandown in the Grade One Scilly Isles Chase, he jumped like a bunny and showed the speed to kill off his opponents with half a mile to run.

Captain Chris was closing on him at the line but Medermit was the best of these over hurdles and looks bombproof.

Many will be ploughing their cash on Somerset farmer Colin Tizzard's Cue Card in the opening race, the Stan James Supreme Novices' Hurdle, but at the prices, he is worth taking on with Spirit Son.

Henderson's mood is likely to be a black one until his first winner of the week but he might not have too wait long as Spirit Son looks a fantastic prospect.

A French import, he has had only two runs but what he has achieved has been hard to crab.