Ben Pauling adamant Barters Hill did not run up to his best at Cheltenham

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.

Pauling said: "I'd be stupid if I said I wasn't disappointed.

"It was real gut-wrenching when you come here with a horse like that and not to win, especially when he turned into the straight in front.

"As was well documented, he was not quite right three days before the race, but he came back absolutely fine. Whether that was the difference between winning and losing, I am not sure.

"It was very unusual of him as he drifted away after the last. That is not him and that was not his true running."

The Gloucestershire-based trainer is unsure whether Barters Hill will run again this season.

"For the first two or three starts next season I will drop him back to two and a half miles as I know he is not slow," said Pauling.

"It's not confirmed that will be his last run of the season - we will see how he comes out of it - but we won't be rushing him back unless he is out of his skin."