A decision on whether Le Beau Bai will run in Saturday's John Smith's Grand National at Aintree will be made at the last possible moment.
Winner of the Welsh National in December, Richard Lee's nine-year-old is at his best when the mud is flying.
After 11 millimetres of rain fell in Liverpool on Monday, more is forecast throughout the rest of the week but whether it will be enough to enable Le Beau Bai to run is a different matter.
The ground is currently soft on the Grand National course, but that might not be wet enough for Le Beau Bai, who finished third to Giles Cross in the National Trial at Haydock last time out.
"It might not be soft enough for him at the moment," said Lee. "I'm sending somebody to walk the course and I know it's soft now, but it may dry up a bit towards the end of the week.
"He'll only run if it's soft or worse, all his wins have been on soft ground and he just doesn't let himself down on anything quicker.
"We will probably not decide until Saturday morning, which I know doesn't help anyone but we have to do what's best for the horse."
Nina Carberry bids to become the first female rider to win the race when she partners Organisedconfusion for her uncle, trainer Arthur Moore.
Carberry has a great completion record over the fences and took the Irish Grand National on the same horse last year.
"Touch wood, everything will go right, he'll stay sound and he'll be there in the line-up," said Carberry. "It's hard to know [how horses will take to the fences]. He jumps well at home, but you just don't know until you line up."
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