Peregrine swoops for Cheltenham assignment Peregrine Run bids for a four-timer in the Neptune Investment Management Hyde Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham on Friday. Peter Fahey's six-year-old has been much improved of late and steps up in grade, having completed his hat-trick in a Listed affair at Limerick. Fahey said: "I can't say I have got a reason why he has improved - maybe he has just taken time to mature. "Since he won his maiden hurdle, he has been thriving and improving with each run. "Once the ground softens, we might try him over two miles and see how he gets on but we won't keep him too busy him over the winter. "We will have him back for the spring festivals." Trainer Ben Pauling is relishing the prospect of seeing stable star Barters Hill make his debut over fences in the Steel Plate And Sections Novices' Chase on the same card. The two-and-a-half-mile contest has an illustrious roll of honour, with Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes Denman and Imperial Commander having landed successive renewals. Grade One winners Grands Crus, Dynaste, Taquin Du Seuil and More Of That have also struck gold in the race. A quality field of seven runners has assembled for the latest running, with Barters Hill perhaps the headline act, having won seven of his eight previous starts. Pauling had been aiming his charge at next week's Hennessy meeting at Newbury, but decided to let him line up at Cheltenham following significant midweek rainfall. "With March in mind, I don't think you can have too much experience of the place, really," said the Bourton-on-the-Water-based trainer. "If we'd been forced to go to Newbury next week, I was considering bringing him here at Christmas for the Dipper. Now we're getting a run here it means we can also consider the Feltham (Kempton). It just opens up options for us. "At Newbury, we'd have been taking on horses who had managed to get a run under their belts at level weights, but by running here those that have won already will be giving us weight. "As ever, he will come on a good deal for his first run but he's as fit as we can get him at home. I'm just so glad it's rained, we can finally crack on with him. "It's a relief all round, for me, his owners and everyone in the yard as we were getting frustrated."
