Ben Pauling: ‘Barters Hill didn’t run up to best’

Trainer Ben Pauling is adamant Barters Hill did not run up to his best in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Friday.

Unbeaten in his first seven starts, the Grade One-winning six-year-old was the long-time ante-post favourite for the Albert Bartlett.

There was a late scare on Wednesday after he pulled out stiff, but Pauling was happy to let his stable star take his chance and he was far from disgraced in finishing fourth behind the tough-as-teak Unowhatimeanharry.