Peddlers’ chase debut has McCain on edge

DONALD McCain is keeping everything crossed Peddlers Cross can avoid any mishaps and make a winning start to his chasing career at Bangor this afternoon.

The six-year-old won his first seven starts under Rules and went down fighting when eventually losing his unbeaten record at the hands of Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. He ran below-par on his final outing of last season at Aintree in the spring, but McCain has been thrilled with his star performer since his summer break and he starts out in the Golden Bear Beginners’ Chase.

Peddlers Cross will be long odds-on to beat what look three inferior rivals, but McCain is taking nothing for granted. “I can’t say I’m particularly looking forward to it!” said McCain. “This has been his target for a while, it’s a grand track and the ground should be lovely, so let’s just hope we can get it out of the way in the right way. He’s very well at home and everything has gone nicely.”

With stable jockey Jason Maguire sidelined by injury, Peddlers Cross will be partnered by Timmy Murphy at the Welsh track. “Timmy came in and sat on him the other day and it was fine,” McCain added. “Jason is the only one who has ridden him, but there’s nothing we can do about that and it shouldn’t be a problem. We won’t make any plans until we get this race out of the way. As we saw at Exeter last week with Menorah [unseating Richard Johnson], these things are never as straightforward as people think.”

Due to take on Peddlers Cross at Bangor was last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Al Ferof, owned by John Hales. But connections had a late change of heart due to Ruby Walsh’s unavailability and he will now run at Cheltenham this weekend instead.

“Bangor was our preferred option but he’s not running because Ruby is suspended and we really want him to ride,” said Hales. “We were hoping that he would get the ban overturned at last week’s appeal but that didn’t happen, so he’ll run at Cheltenham on Sunday instead.”

Peddlers Cross will now face Laterly, Oscar Close and The Chazer.

Meanwhile, top weight Poquelin is set to run in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday, owner Andy Stewart revealed last night.

Although an outsider for the fiercely-competitive handicap, the five-time Cheltenham winner, fifth in this race 12 months ago and second in 2009, is key to how the race will shape up.

Had the Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old been absent, the weights would have risen 6lb, leaving leading fancy Wishfull Thinking with a welter burden, while a number of those who are currently out of the handicap would be able to run off their official mark.

Stewart also has Nomecheki engaged, but he will run instead in the paddypower.com On Mobile Handicap Chase on Friday. “Nomecheki will run on Friday, and Poquelin will take his chance off top weight in the Paddy Power. That’s the plan,” he said.