Peddlers Cross made relatively light work of his rivals as he warmed up for the Champion Hurdle with a victory in the Victor Chandler Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso on Thursday.

Jason Maguire’s mount jumped impeccably and justified his odds of 1/6 as Donald McCain finally got a run into his Cheltenham Festival contender.

Not seen since beating Binocular and Starluck in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, McCain was happy to see Peddlers Cross back on the racecourse and explained:  "He's was switched off at home because he has been on the go for so long.

"All the tests we did with him were clear, but I have seen him a lot better.  We needed to get a run into him and now we've got a month to get him right for Cheltenham."

StanJames.com spokesman Garry McGibbon told Cheltenhampro: "We weren't too taken with Peddlers Cross, even allowing for the outing being his first since November, and it was a bit disconcerting too that he needed firm handling up the straight, seemingly  to keep his mind on the job.

"Having said that, we're sure Donald McCain has left something to work on for Cheltenham in what should be a crackerjack of a race."

Meanwhile, Coral’s David Stevens explained: “Twelve months ago Zaynar was turned over in this race at odds of 1-14, but Peddlers Cross never looked like suffering the same fate, and although we weren’t overly impressed, he has come through his prep race unscathed, and he will now put his unbeaten record on the line as one of the market principals for the Champion Hurdle, a contest that is shaping up to be the race of the Festival.”