Ben Pauling retains plenty of faith in Tellherthename as he attempts to get to the bottom of what caused his disappointing showing in Aintree’s Formby Novices’ Hurdle.

The five-year-old fetched £200,000 at the sales having got the better of recent Exeter bumper scorer and Envoi Allen’s brother Joyau Allen in the pointing field and backed up that promise in his opening outings under rules, pushing eventual Formby winner Jango Baie all the way at Ascot before bolting up at Huntingdon.

Tellherthename was sent off at odds of 5-1 when making the move to Grade One company on Boxing Day and was up with the pace before stopping quickly approaching three out, eventually being pulled up by jockey Kielan Woods.

Pauling has given the gelding a full MOT following that effort and if nothing comes to light from the extensive bout of testing, the Naunton Downs handler will be content to point towards the testing conditions at Aintree as a plausible reason for Tellherthename’s Formby no-show.

He said: “We’ve explored and turned most stones we can now because we were a bit perplexed at the time as we think he is a bit special. He was just beaten a long way out really for it to be right.

“At the moment we are still investigating but I would pretty much hang my hat on the fact he doesn’t handle that very testing ground.

“Everything so far, all his bloods and stuff, has been good, but we’ve got a few more little bits and bobs to check out.

“He seems very well in himself and if nothing comes to light, I will put it down to the fact he just can’t go on that very soft ground.”

Pauling went on: “I trotted off down the track to try to meet him to make sure he was OK and it was just very hard work.

“It was about as bad a ground I think I’ve seen in a long time and interestingly I shared a lift home with Felix De Giles who rode the French horse, July Flower, in the race and he said it was worse ground than Auteuil by a margin. His horse didn’t even handle the ground and travel to the second hurdle and she is proven on that very soft ground at Auteuil.”

Providing Tellherthename gets the all clear to continue his campaign, Pauling is keen to attempt to restore the talented novice’s confidence at the earliest opportunity.

He will be searching for an opening in calmer waters over the coming weeks where it is hoped the Megson Family-owned gelding can bounce back to his best and reignite spring festival dreams for all connected.

“If nothing comes to light, we will look to get him out in the next 10 days to two weeks in an ordinary novice somewhere, just to get his season back on track,” continued Pauling.

“We can then make plans from there whether we go straight to the Festival or look elsewhere, but as long as the horse is OK.

“From what he did at Huntingdon and before that at Ascot, the form is in the book. He just got touched off by Jango Baie at Ascot and I’m not overly worried about it all – if there is something to find we will find it, if not we will draw a line and go again.

“I think he is a very good horse and as good as we have had for a long time.”

Ben Pauling has the Formby Novices’ Hurdle in mind for the promising Tellherthename.

The four-year-old was a point to point winner who made his debut for the stable at Ascot in November, finishing second by just a nose when defeated by Nicky Henderson’s well-regarded Jango Baie.

His next outing was at Huntingdon for a two-mile maiden hurdle and there he was an impressive 14-length winner under Kielan Woods for owners the Megsons.

A step up in grade is now on the agenda as Pauling is aiming the gelding at the Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day, a Grade One contest that was formerly known at the Tolworth and run at Sandown.

“It would be very special to win this for the Megsons as they have never had a Grade One winner,” he said.

“It would be wonderful for everyone involved if we could get them their first Grade One winner, but I’m under no illusions and it is not going to be easy.

“There wasn’t really any frustration when he got beat first time out as our horses at the time were needing it so it was good to see him be so competitive against a horse that was highly regarded by Nicky Henderson in Jango Baie.

“We got beaten by a nose, and if we meet again here it would be interesting to see how we get on second time around, but I know how much our lad would have improved from that first run.

“He did what we expected at Huntingdon last time. At the time we thought it was an average enough race, but there was a couple in it with a bit of form.

“We sent him on from the front to try to keep it simple. He did it nicely and won very much with his head in his chest.

“That form has since been franked with the horse that finished second (Lucky Place) winning by 13 lengths up at Doncaster.

“It might not have been as bad a race as we first thought, but it was still good to see him do it in that manner.”

Tellherthename was purchased at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale and is a horse Pauling has thought highly of ever since he arrived in the yard.

He said: “He is a horse we have liked since we got him. He was a shell of a horse when we got him in March at the sale at the Cheltenham Festival.

“We sent him away and he has come in this season and his work has improved from the start. He looks to be a decent animal on the track.

“Since we really truly saw him work in the autumn he was a horse that took our eye at home and thankfully he has transferred that ability to the track.

“He is an exciting novice going forward and you have just got to hope that he jumps and travels and has a clear round at Aintree.”

Fergal O’Brien’s Kamsinas could head in the direction of the Formby Novices’ Hurdle after a smart Graded success at Haydock on Saturday.

The six-year-old won first time out this season and then headed to Cheltenham for the Grade Two Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle last month, in which he finished second when beaten by a nice horse in Neil King’s Lookaway.

At Haydock, he was a 16-5 chance for the Betfair Racing Podcasts Newton Novices’ Hurdle, another Grade Two, and travelled in midfield for much of the contest under Paddy Brennan, while producing a neat round of jumping.

The bay then took up the lead three hurdles from home and held off all of his rivals to secure a pleasing length and a quarter success for owners Noel Fehily Racing.

“I was delighted with him, he did it very well and travelled and jumped beautifully,” O’Brien said.

“We were over the moon with him, fingers crossed he can keep going forward and progressing.

“He was very unlucky in his first bumper when he got brought down, then he came back and won a bumper.

“By the time he ran with a penalty, he’d been in a long time, but he won first time out this year. He was a bit unlucky at Cheltenham, he finished second and then went and won on Saturday, so he has been very consistent.”

The Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle, previously known as the Tolworth, is now up for discussion as its new location at Aintree is expected to suit the French-bred gelding.

“I’ve got to clarify it with Noel and David Crosse from Noel Fehily Racing, but it seems the obvious route,” O’Brien said of the race.

“With the Tolworth being moved to Aintree and Aintree being pretty similar to Haydock, it should suit.

“The timing is right, so it’s the obvious place.”

O’Brien has another promising hurdler on his hands in Crambo, third in the Betfair “Serial Winners” Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at the same Haydock meeting.

The six-year-old is a two-time bumper winner who has always looked to have a good deal of ability over hurdles too, having won four times over the obstacles before starting at Haydock.

Crambo was a 5-1 chance under Connor Brace and though the pair found themselves too far back to mount a winning challenge in the closing stages, the gelding still caught the eye when running on to finish strongly in third.

Discussions will now be had as to whether the bay contests more handicap contests or steps up to a Graded event on his next start.

“I was delighted with him, he tried very hard and just didn’t get any luck in running,” O’Brien said of the horse.

“It’s no surprise to be beaten by two well handicapped Irish horses, I’ve got to speak to the owners and decide if we try a Graded race or go down the handicap route.”

The Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival has been mentioned and is a viable target, with connections ultimately having to decide whether to take aim at the race this term or wait until next season.

O’Brien said: “I definitely think he’s up to it, it’s whether we are a year too soon or not. I need to discuss it with the owners and the lads in the yard and see where we think we should go.”