Harry Findlay has admitted his Coral Cup favourite Beshabar (9/1 ante-post) will not run at Cheltenham next Wednesday unless the ground softens.

Findlay’s charge is in fine form and won on his last two outings at Sandown and Ascot but it seems unlikely he will run at the Festival amid ongoing better weather.

“He won’t run unless there is genuine soft in the ground,” said Findlay.

“He’ll run next year in the RSA on soft ground and we’ll all be lumping on.

“Paul Nicholls, to be fair, has done a great job with him because he had a year out. 

Findlay added: “He left him short at Chepstow but he looked like a fish out of water when he won at Ascot over two and a half miles and I don’t want to ask him to go for the Coral Cup on good ground so we’ll wait for the novice chases next year.”