Peddlers Cross will be given entries in both the Tote-sponsored Contenders Hurdle and the William Hill Welsh Champion Hurdle with trainer Donald McCain not afraid to renew rivalry with Binocular on February 5.

The unbeaten Peddlers Cross had been an intended runner at Haydock last Saturday but, with that meeting lost to the weather, trainer Donald McCain has one of the two potentially top-class hurdle races on the first Saturday of next month in mind.

Peddlers Cross is an 11-2 chance with the sponsors for the Stan James Champion Hurdle having beaten Binocular in the rearranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newbury in November and McCain would not be concerned about taking him on at Sandown en route to Cheltenham. 

"There are the races for him a week on Saturday and he will probably end up in one of the two I am sure," he said. "We will enter him in both. I think we know what is going to turn up at both. Despite the competition I think we will go wherever we feel is best for him on the day with ground conditions etc.

"We are going to have totake Binocular on again at some point, so it is most important we go where conditions are right and we will worry about the opposition later."

McCain also has Overturn in the mix for the Champion Hurdle, who will first go for the Victor Chandler Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso on February 17 or the Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton two days later.

"As it stands at the moment we have two horses capable of going there and we may not have that again so we will be going there with the pair of them," he told At The Races.

"I am delighted that I have two horses that will be able to compete with [Binocular]. Obviously if a horse has never been beat you don't know how good he is and that is where we stand with Peddlers at the moment.  I am not going to be getting above myself but I will not be swapping anyway.

"I think both horses will be suited by Cheltenham. Overturn has won over 2m on the Flat so you would expect him to be suited by a stiff track. If I did not have Peddlers Cross I would be over the moon to have Overturn go to Cheltenham."