Teaforthree can complete fairy tale with Aintree glory

After notching her first ever Grade One win this year, Rebecca Curtis’ tutelage could now see Teaforthree land National Hunt’s biggest prize.

And it would be nothing short of a fairy tale should Fforest Farm’s leading staying chaser, currently a 16/1 shot, produce at Aintree.

The nine-year-old was originally owned by TV’s Soccer AM and used as a marketing ploy to introduce a new audience to racing by Racing For Change’s Nigel Roddis.

When the programme’s lease on the horse expired in 2011, Roddis and a group of friends took on ownership and since then the horse has continued to improve and improve.

The pinnacle of that progress so far would arguably be his win at the Cheltenham Festival last year in the amateur riders four miler or what is now the John Oaksey.

The performance typified everything that makes this horse a leading contender for the National this year after disputing the lead all the way round, jumping keenly and staying on superbly.

While the nine-year-old is yet to get off the mark this campaign, there has still been plenty of encouraging form, notably his second place in the Welsh Grand National.

Headed in the final stages by Gold Cup contender Monbeg Dude, Teaforthree looked slightly one-paced in the run-in, but stayed on under pressure and that stamina means he should relish the gruelling four-and-a-half miles at Aintree.

His last run in the Grand National trial was ultimately disappointing after finishing tenth at Haydock.

However, he carried plenty of weight and the ground was not ideal. Rebecca Curtis learnt plenty about her charge that day, citing home-sickness as one reason for the poor run and will now travel to Aintree on the day of the race.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing