Webber Warning For De Soto Fans

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Paul Webber has warned his smart youngster De Soto is unlikely to line up at the Cheltenham Festival if the going remains soft.

The son of Hernando ran Missed That to a quarter of a length in the 2005 Champion Bumper and created a big impression winning twice over timber in December.

He has not been seen since finishing fourth to Silverburn on unsuitably heavy ground in the Tolworth Hurdle, but preparations for the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle have gone to plan and are about to step up a gear.

'He's going to do a nice piece of work somewhere this weekend and then as long as it dries up he'll go, but if it's soft at Cheltenham he'd be doubtful,' Webber stressed.

'Mick (Fitzgerald) looked after him nicely for us once he was beaten in ground that was far too soft last time.'

De Soto is currently available at 16-1 with Coral for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

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