Teafortree: Grand National 2015 Contender

[Yeehaa]

Teaforthree (Miss R Curtis): Likely to be popular with punters having won the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and finished a game second in the Welsh National, when the subject of an almighty gamble. That defeat once again highlighted his staying credentials and, as something of a left-handed track specialist with excuses for his Haydock flop, there's no reason to doubt that he'll take to Aintree. Will he take to the fences? Time will tell, but if he does then he's a major player.

 

[mayo]

Back in February, Curtis sent her cracking staying chaser Teaforthree, to Haydock Park for the Betfred Grand National Trial. She had been in two minds about running him for several reasons and in the end he finished 10th, beaten 43 lengths. But, the advice is to put a line through the run.
“He had plenty of excuses that day,” the Newport-based trainer pointed out.
“He’d had such a hard run in the Welsh National previously and then nothing went according to plan at Haydock. The ground wasn’t ideal, he had plenty of weight and Haydock is just not a real jumpers’ track like it used to be in the past.
“I know that A P McCoy, who had ridden the horse previously, and Ruby Walsh were both watching the race from Ascot, and they said to each other that he would have no chance,” she recalled.
But the most relevant piece of information that Curtis took away from the trip to Haydock was that Teaforthree would not eat. “We went up the night before the race and he didn’t like it. He was not himself. He didn’t like the new surroundings,” she recalled.
It was a valuable lesson learnt and the trainer will not be repeating the exercise when travelling to Aintree for the John Smith’s Grand National next month.
“We’ll go up on the day of the National. We could leave here at 6am and be there at 10 without too much trouble, and he could still have his home comforts the night before,” she said.
Nick Scholfield, who was aboard at Haydock, is to keep the ride on the staying chaser at Aintree and if he is back to the form he showed when pipped by Monbeg Dude in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow in January the rider should enjoy a great spin.

 

[Yeehaa]

Graham Cunningham

Rebecca Curtis seems confident that we can forgive T43 his dull Haydock performance on the basis that he didn't settle, having travelled to Haydock overnight. The plan is to van him up from Wales to Aintree on the morning of the National next week and his stamina and accurate jumping are big plusses. Against that, he went up 7lb to a mark of 151 for that narrow defeat in the Welsh National and it's at the back of my mind that might leave him a bit vulnerable to one or two less exposed rivals. But it's easy enough to see him being bang there with the leaders for a long way and giving his followers plenty to shout about.

 

[mayo]

Grand National third Teaforthree could start his season in the Welsh National at Chepstow in late December.
The Rebecca Curtis-trained nine-year-old was runner-up in the Grade Three event at Chepstow last season and went on to run a fantastic race to fill the frame in the world's most famous steeplechase at Aintree in April.
A return to Merseyside next spring is top of his agenda for the current campaign.
Curtis said: "He came in a bit later than some of the others as the ground has been so fast, but he seems fine.
"We might get him back in time for the Welsh National, but we'll see. Wherever he goes beforehand, we obviously want to end up back at Aintree."
While many trainers run their Grand National candidates over hurdles in order to protect their handicap marks, Curtis believes there is no benefit in doing so with Teaforthree as he has already shown his hand over the giant Aintree fences.
Curtis said: "Having run so well in the National last season, he's going to go back there with a high mark anyway, so there's no point in trying to protect it. He'll get what he gets and we won't worry about that."

 

[Sefton]

stable tour

Teaforthree 9g Oscar - Ethel’s Bay T437 1/86203- RPR 158c OR 153c Everything will point towards Aintree and the Grand National. He’s had a good break and isn’t likely to be out until Christmas – the Welsh National is a possibility not a probability as I’d be a bit worried about taking him to Chepstow without a run under his belt. He’s a big, burly sort and will need a couple of runs leading up to Aintree, although I won’t be going down the hurdle route with him – his National mark isn’t going to change given that the handicapper takes Aintree form into account. I might fi nd him a conditions race or two, and there’s always the chance there’ll be something for him in Ireland as well.

 

[Old Vic]

2nd yesterday

"I am very pleased with that. He has a lovely weight for the Grand National (10st 12lb) because there are a lot of high-class horses above him in the handicap.

"He's had one or two physical problems and he needed the race in at Chepstow (Welsh National).

"While we will have to see how he comes out of the race, we've probably got him as good as he's ever been at the moment."

 

[Sefton]

Teaforthree (IRE) 10-10-12

Breeding: b g Oscar (IRE)-Ethel's Bay (IRE) (Strong Gale)

Breeder: M O'Sullivan

Form: 3/421328/321P11/86203-928

Owner: Conyers, O'Reilly, Roddis, Zeffman

Trainer: Rebecca Curtis

Jockey: Nick Scholfield



Teaforthree

*Third, beaten nine and a quarters lengths by Auroras Encore, in last year's Crabbie's Grand National. Set to line up off a mark 2lb lower this year.

*Beaten half a length by Monbeg Dude when filling the runner-up spot in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow in January, 2013.

*Heads into this year's race after coming home eighth in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival on March 14.

*Successful in the Terry Biddlecombe National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, 2012 -

*Was formerly leased to Sky sports show Soccer AM, for whom he won a Ffos Las novices' hurdle in November, 2010.

* Attempting to become first winner trainer in Wales since Kirkland in 1905.

Race Record (under Rules): Starts: 21; Wins: 4; 2nd: 5; 3rd: 4; Win & Place prize money: £196,607



Conyers, O'Reilly, Roddis, Zeffman

When Soccer AM's lease of Teaforthree, organised with the help of Racing For Change (RFC), ran out one of RFC's executives was keen not to bid farewell to the horse. Nigel Roddis, now Betting Development Director (Betting) at RFC's successor Great British Racing, got together a team of friends to form a partnership. Roddis, who hails from Yorkshire, is an avid Sheffield Wednesday fan and Teaforthree's racing silks are inspired by the colours of The Owls. Roddis, 44, hails from Yorkshire and is a lawyer whose career began with city firm Olswang. He has specialised in the betting industry. He joined the Tote in 2000, originally to deal with legal issues surrounding its sale but he progressed to run the company's pool business. In 2006, he joined At The Races as international director. After a brief time out of racing, he joined Racing For Change in late 2009. Roddis's wife Hannah, who works for the Jockey Club, shares his stake in Teaforthree, John O'Reilly, head of interactive at Coral Bookmakers and previously a longstanding executive director at Ladbrokes, has a share with his wife Christine. The remaining partners are media lawyer David Zeffman, who worked with Roddis at Olswang and has specialised in racing, lobbyist and lawyer James Conyers, who oversees legal affairs at Sky as the company's General Counsel. All four partners are based in London, although O'Reilly spends much of his time in Gibraltar.

Crabbie's Grand National record: 2013 Teaforthree (3rd)



Rebecca Curtis (Pembrokeshire)

Born: April 1, 1980 Background: Grew up on Fforest Farm five miles from Fishguard on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales, a place that has now become her training centre. Has been around horses all her life and started riding aged four, progressing to showjump for the Welsh junior team. Rode in point-to-points and her first job in racing was with nearby trainer Peter Bowen. Spent five years in America with trainers Richard Mandella and Dan Hendricks before coming home to take out a licence in 2008. First winner was Mango Catcher at Chepstow on April 5, 2008. Enjoyed a first Cheltenham Festival winner when Teaforthree won the National Hunt Chase in 2012 and has enjoyed two further winners at the famous meeting - At Fishers Cross in the 2013 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (her first Grade One victory) and O'Faolains Boy in the RSA Chase this year. Curtis is assisted by her partner, bloodstock agent Gearoid Costelloe, and she uses her family's private beach to exercise her horses.

Crabbie's Grand National record: 2013 Teaforthree (3rd)



Nick Scholfield

Born: June 25, 1989 Background: son of British champion point-to-point rider Philip Scholfield. Brought up riding ponies in his native Devon and went to Horse of the Year Show and the Royal International to show Chiddock Over The Limit at the age of 15. He always wanted to be a jockey - his first mount under Rules was also his first winner, Lou Du Moulin Mas, in an amateur riders' event at Newbury in November, 2006. By the end of his first season, Scholfield had ridden six winners from just 14 rides under Rules, and had gained the national novice riders' title in point-to-points with a record 25 winners. His impressive strike-rate continued into the 2007/08 season as, backed by the powerful Ditcheat stable of Paul Nicholls, he became champion amateur with 20 victories to his name. Decided to turn professional immediately after the 2007/08 campaign and enjoyed success with his first ride as a paid jockey aboard Double The Trouble at Towcester on April 28, 2008. Appointed as retained jockey to the Andy Turnell stable in April, 2009. Second behind Rhys Flint in the conditional jockeys' championship in 2009/2010, going down by four wins in a thrilling battle for the title. He has struck up a burgeoning partnership with trainer Jeremy Scott and guided Melodic Rendezvous to victory in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown in January, 2013. He has partnered the same horse to three Grade Two wins this season.

Crabbie's Grand National Record: 2008 Cornish Sett (12th); 2009 Cornish Sett (17th); 2010 My Will (Fell 4th); 2011 Ornais (Fell 4th); 2013 Teaforthree (3rd)

 

[Statto]

 

[Sefton]

Ruby

There are very few horses that run well again in the National after their first attempt – my winner in 2005, Hedgehunter, was one of the exceptions running on for second in 2006. These horses are special. Plenty, though, will perform their best on their first run in the big race.

That’s one of the reasons why I wouldn’t back last year’s third, and current favourite, Teaforthree. He just doesn’t appeal to me. Whatever it is about him, I can’t see him improving on last year’s effort and therefore he won’t win.


He’d also have needed to put in a better effort in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham after finishing eighth, 21 lengths behind the winner Lord Windermere. In 2006 I was second in the Gold Cup on Hedgehunter and then second in the National three weeks later. That’s the form you should be in.

 

[Morning Glory]

^ that's an interesting quote from Ruby.

I like the way they have planned his season this year though. If Smith drops him a bit in the weights he would have a chance.

 

[Hoof]

Ruby

There are very few horses that run well again in the National after their first attempt – my winner in 2005, Hedgehunter, was one of the exceptions running on for second in 2006. These horses are special. Plenty, though, will perform their best on their first run in the big race.

That’s one of the reasons why I wouldn’t back last year’s third, and current favourite, Teaforthree. He just doesn’t appeal to me. Whatever it is about him, I can’t see him improving on last year’s effort and therefore he won’t win.


He’d also have needed to put in a better effort in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham after finishing eighth, 21 lengths behind the winner Lord Windermere. In 2006 I was second in the Gold Cup on Hedgehunter and then second in the National three weeks later. That’s the form you should be in.

I wonder if Ruby has passed on to Townend ? Not sure how Willie might need him.