McCain adamant Peddlers wasn't himself Donald McCain is adamant Peddlers Cross wasn't himself when losing to Sprinter Sacre in the williamhill.com Novices' Chase at Kempton on Tuesday. Last season's Champion Hurdle runner-up was the Arkle favourite after two impressive displays over fences at Bangor but was usurped in the ante-post market by Sprinter Sacre after Nicky Henderson's ace beat him by 16 lengths. In the aftermath of the contest McCain felt he'd done the wrong thing by running him over a sharp two miles at Kempton, but on reflection he says the horse wasn't at his best for a different reason that day. The Cholmondeley handler told At The Races: "On the day I thought it's two miles around Kempton, it's very sharp, it's very quick and the winner's a very good horse. "Obviously I watched it a few times that night and I watched it again and I've come to the conclusion that yes he might be a very good horse but no horse should beat Peddlers Cross like that. "He obviously wasn't himself. We've done a couple of tests already and we'll do some more. He's a bit subdued, he knows himself. "We'll sort him out and we'll get him back to the way he should be. "We've scoped him and blood tested him and they've come back okay but there's a couple of other things we need to do. "No disrespect to Sprinter Sacre but that wasn't Peddlers Cross the other day." Peddlers Cross is a 6/1 chance with Sky Bet for the Arkle.
