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Aintree Hurdle Saturday 9th April 2011 

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Binocular and Peddlers Cross Set to Lock Horns
08/04/11

Although everything that precedes the Grand National on Saturday will serve as a build-up to the big race, the undercard isn’t half bad and the John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle has the makings of a cracking race.

Peddlers Cross
© Racehorse Photos

Peddlers Cross

Binocular’s late defection from the Champion Hurdle at last month’s Cheltenham Festival robbed the race of some of its lustre, and it’s good to see Nicky Henderson’s charge taking his chance in this Grade 1 contest. If he’s at his best this weekend and sees out the two-and-a-half-mile trip, he will surely go mighty close.

However, I am convinced that PEDDLERS CROSS will prove too strong for Binocular and his other six rivals. Donald McCain’s star hurdler had Binocular back in third place when landing the Fighting Fifth at Newbury in November, and while he lost his unbeaten record in the Champion Hurdle, the six-year-old lost absolutely nothing in defeat, going down by just a length-and-a-half to Hurricane Fly.

In running such a cracking race the gelding dispelled any concerns that he possesses the requisite pace for the minimum trip. Saying that, there remains a strong belief that Peddlers Cross is even better over this trip; he landed the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham last year over a similar trip and landed a Grade 2 over C&D at this meeting during his novice campaign, too.

Consequently, while it is also likely that this trip is more to Oscar Whisky’s liking than the 2m of the Champion Hurdle, I cannot envisage that horse reversing the placings with Peddlers Cross, whom Oscar Whisky was five lengths adrift of Prestbury Park. Fourth home in the Champion was Thousand Stars, and he shapes as though this trip will also be right up his street, but, again, he will do well to turn the tables on the selection.

For each-way purposes, Celestial Halo is bound to have his supporters at around the 10-1 mark. He was unlucky not to win the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton in February when a last-flight stumble handed the initiative to his conqueror there, Mille Chief, but Celestial Halo gained due reward in a Grade 2 at Fontwell eight days later, and it’s hard to forget how well he was travelling when falling two out in this race last year. He may well finish in the money.

Recommendation: Peddlers Cross

 

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