Scottish Grand National: Tea sidesteps Scottish date

Rebecca Curtis has said that Teaforthree could run at Punchestown

Rebecca Curtis is not ruling out a trip to the Punchestown Festival for Teaforthree following his superb run in defeat in the Grand National at Aintree, although he will not run at Ayr in the Scottish Grand National...

The nine-year-old looked as though he could become the first Welsh-trained National winner since Kirkland in 1905 when leading two fences from home in last week's Aintree spectacular, but he weakened from the final obstacle to finish an excellent third behind shock winner Auroras Encore.

Teaforthree holds entries in both the Scottish Grand National at Ayr on Saturday week and, more intriguingly, the Punchestown Gold Cup on April 24.

Trainer Rebecca Curtis said: "He's come out of the race very fresh and well and I wouldn't rule out it out (running again this season). It's probably more likely we'll take the shoes off him and give him a break, but we'll just see how he is in the next week to 10 days and then make a decision."

"He definitely won't go for the Scottish National, but he is in at Punchestown. If he hadn't hit the last at Aintree, I don't think he would have got caught for second, but it was a great run and hopefully he'll be back there again next year."

Curtis' other stable star, At Fishers Cross, enhanced his growing reputation with a sixth successive victory in Aintree's Sefton Novices' Hurdle.

He also holds a Punchestown entry in the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle, but the trainer will wait until next week before deciding whether to let him travel to Ireland.

"He's in really good form and I don't think he had a hard race at Aintree." 

"It was nice to see him perform so well on that better ground and I think we've got a really nice horse to look forward to next season. He's entered at Punchestown and, again, we'll see how is in the next week or so and then decide what we're going to do."

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