Peddlers Cross Retired

[OddDog]

Forum favourite Peddlers Cross has been retired - this reproduced from the Racing Post website:

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PEDDLERS CROSS, runner-up in the 2011 Champion Hurdle, has been retired trainer Donald McCain has revealed.

As well as his near miss behind Hurricane Fly at the Cheltenham Festival, Peddlers Cross was victorious at the same venue when landing the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle the previous year.

Owned by Tim Leslie, the nine-year-old was last seen in action pulling up in last year's World Hurdle and connections decided on Monday he will not race again.

Donald McCain said: "We are retiring him. He has been plagued with smallish problems since the 2011 Champion Hurdle and we have decided, as much as his work has been continuously good the whole way through, he isn't going to be able to compete at the same level.

"I don't know if he has ever been quite the same since that Champion Hurdle clash with Hurricane Fly. He put a huge effort in to just get beaten in what I think was the best Champion Hurdle of the last ten years. We have been up against it ever since."

The winner of ten of his 16 starts, including seven over hurdles, Peddlers Cross earned £285,653 in prize-money during his four-year career.

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A great servant to connections and well loved by the Forum since the day Famous tipped him up before he'd run a race. Won me a small fortune over the years, including a brilliant novice season and 2nd season, where he give the mighty Hurricane Fly one hell of a run for his money up the Cheltenham hill.

I wish him a very long and happy retirement

 

[beeforsalmon]

I was actually thinking about old Peddler's the other day, wondering where he went. He was a mighty fine hurdler those first two seasons. I was at Aintree on the day of the 2010 GN, when I saw him completely hose up in the G1 novice hurdle. Definitely never came back the same horse after his run behind the Fly at Cheltenham.

Happy retirement old boy.

P.S Oddy are you sure you aren't getting mixed up with Famous' horse Storming Gale, also owned by Tim Leslie who won on debut for McCain (but done pretty much sweet F.A since )

 

[NassauBoard]

What a shame that he didn't go on and hit the heights many thought he might over fences, but he was a very good horse in his early career and hopefully he has a sound and long retirement.

 

[woolcombe-folly007]

Was a very good horse, backed him that day in the champion hurdle, fantastic race that was!! a big heart he had ! I echo Nass comments shame he didn't hit the heights over fences but happy retirement

 

[SaveTheHumans]

Long and happy retirement to the young chap, hope he enjoys his grass.

 

[OddDog]

Just re-watched his Neptune victory at the festival and it is very interesting to look at the horses behind him that day and what they have since gone on to achieve:

2nd Reve de Sivola (Dual Long Walk Hurdle winner, Cleeve Hurdle winner)
3rd Rite Of Passage (Ascot Gold Cup winner)
5th Finians Rainbow (Queen Mother Champion Chase winner, Melling Chase winner, Maghull Novices Chase winner, Desert Orchid Chase winner Kingmaker Chase winner)
6th The Giant Bolster (Argento Chase winner, 3rd, 4th, 2nd in the last 3 Cheltenham Gold Cups)

A very decent renewal and Peddlers Cross won with real authority that day before following up effortlessly at Aintree.

 

[Ste D]

One of my fav horses and one of the the forums favourites, happy retirement

 

[TopClass]

Peddlers was a brilliant, tough as old boots hurdler. Somewhere along the lines he lost his way- sounds like numerous things.

That Champion Hurdle was a terrific race and I think that was Hurricane Flys best performance on the day. Don't forget he started as antepost Arkle favourite before Sprinter Sacre decided to show people what 2m chasing looks like. Pedders never really travelled with the same purpose when he finally returned the season after, but still managed to win a race in preparation for the World Hurdle.

Hope he has a grand retirement and that they look after him well.

 

[Sir Barney Chuckles]

Gee-gees who finish runner-up in a Champion Hurdle have an absolutely appalling recent record (perhaps Overturn apart) when put over the big ‘uns. Lets consider the evidence:

2013 - Rock on Ruby. Won 2 egg and spoon races before being beaten out of sight in the Arkle. Then hastily dispatched back over hurdles.

2012 – Overturn. Possible exception. Won 3 weak races before placing in Grade 1’s at Cheltenham and Aintree. Although in saying that was beaten 30 lengths when placing in the Arkle.

2011 – Peddlers Cross. Won 2 small chases before being beaten miles by both the Black Aeroplane and Sir Des Champs. Put back over hurdles after this latter defeat.

2010 – Khyber Kim. Never went chasing.

2009 – Celestial Halo. Had 2 runs over fences and was terrible over them. Falling and then finishing 3rd.

2008 – Osana. Has won just 3/23 over the big ‘uns. Last ran in Januray off a lowly perch of 120.

2007 – Brave Inca. Never went chasing.

2006 – Macs Joy. Never went chasing.

2005 – Harchibald. One fencing run. Beaten 17 lengths.

2004 – Rooster Booster. Never went chasing.

2003 – Westender. 0/2 over fences. Hated them so much in his final run, over the big ‘uns, he refused at the first.

2002 – Marble Arch. 2 runs over fences. He pulled up and finished 5th.

2001 – no Champion Hurdle

2000 – Hors La Loi III. Just 2/8 over fences. Last ran off a perch as low as 119.

Amazingly, then none of the horses who finished 2nd in a Champion Hurdle, this century, have gone on to win a Graded race over fences! Not so much as even a Grade 3 novice! Steer a million miles clear of My Tent or Yours then should he ever be asked to tackle a big ‘un. Even with Mr Henderson’s ‘magic hands’ assisting him.

I wish Peddler’s Cross all the best in an honourable retirement the old boy obviously deserves. To be rated as highly as 170, at one point, proves how good he was.

 

[OddDog]

Interesting analysis Sir Barney but should we really be surprised? A horse who can finish 2nd in a Champion Hurdle is unlikely to have the size and scope for chasing, or am I completely bonkers?

 

[Sir Barney Chuckles]

I wouldn’t certify you as ‘bonkers’ for reaching such a conclusion, Oddy. Sounds pretty sane to me.

It is though amazing how almost every year when such an animal makes the switch he’s almost always at the forefront, if not the very front, of the betting for the next renewal of the ‘Arkle’.

From my list the one that surprised me for not ‘going on’ over fences was old boy Osana. He always gave the impression of fulfilling that terrible cliché about what ever he did over hurdles being a bonus. He was placed in a few nice races as a novice (including 2nd at Aintree to the great, at the time, Tataniano) but after that term went downhill rapidly. Maybe, Daddy Martin opened the ‘magic’ fridge to many times when this one was a hurdler, perhaps?!?

 

[OddDog]

Agree ref Osana - remember him running Sizing Europe pretty close as a novice (maybe in the Irish Arkle, but don't quote me on that)