McCain ponders Peddlers prep

DONALD McCAIN is keeping his fingers crossed his Champion Hurdle hope Peddlers Cross will still be able to make a racecourse appearance before Cheltenham after a setback ruled him out of this weekend’s engagements.

The Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner missed his intended Champion Hurdle prep race at Haydock last month after the meeting was abandoned and he was due to line up at either Ffos Las or Sandown tomorrow.

However, after coughing on Wednesday morning, McCain ruled the unbeaten six-year-old out of both races and he could now be rerouted to Kelso’s Morebattle Hurdle or the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton later this month.