Tea For Two will bid to give trainer Nick Williams a third success in the £80,000 Grade Three Betfair 'Tap Tap Boom' "Fixed Brush" Handicap Hurdleat Haydock Park on Saturday.
Williams took the valuable contest, run over just short of two mile and seven furlongs, with Aubusson 12 months ago. He also sent out Diamond Harry to score impressively under top-weight in 2009.
Tea For Two already has one big handicap success to his name, having routed his rivals to win the Listed Lanzarote Hurdle by 16 lengths at Kempton Park in January.
The six-year-old was subsequently touched off by Arpege D'Alene in a novices' hurdle at Ascot in February and pulled up in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on his final outing of the campaign.
Tea For Two made an encouraging return to action when sixth, beaten just over 10 lengths, in the Grade Three Silver Trophy at Chepstow on October 10. Aubusson was second in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle before scoring at Haydock Park.
Jane Williams, assistant trainer and joint-owner of Tea For Two, said today: "The plan is to run Tea For Two in the fixed brush hurdle.
"We were happy with his performance at Chepstow. He needed a run and it was always the intention to go to Haydock second time out.
"I see the bookmakers have made him second favourite, but he has got to prove he gets nearly three miles on ground that probably won't suit us very much.
"He won well on soft ground at Kempton but he has also won on fast ground and, if the ground came up heavy, it would be a concern.
"His run in the Albert Bartlett didn't prove anything as regards to trip. He'd had enough by that point and was pulled up.
"I think the trip will be OK but obviously the softer the ground is the harder it will be."
Tea For Two, who will be ridden by Jane's daughter Lizzie Kelly who was victorious on Aubusson, is the 7/1 second favourite with Betfair Sportsbook. The market is topped by 6/1 shot Shantou Bob (Warren Greatrex) who was last seen out when sixth in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.
Other notable contenders include unexposed French import Yala Enki (Venetia Williams, 8/1), Grade Two victor Definitely Red (Brian Ellison, 9/1) and Baradari (12/1), who is in line to make his debut for Dan Skelton.
Betfair 'Tap Tap Boom' "Fixed Brush" Handicap Hurdle - Betfair Sportsbook: 6/1 Shantou Bob; 7/1 Tea For Two; 8/1 Yala Enki; 9/1 Broxbourne, Definitly Red; 12/1 Baradari, Closing Ceremony; 14/1 Vics Canvas, Wychwoods Brook; 16/1 Eshtiaal, Laurium, Low Key, Taglietelle; 20/1 Alcala, Gunner Fifteen, Join The Clan, Our Kaempfer; 25/1 bar
EW 1/4 - 1,2,3,4
Haydock Park's seven-race card is headlined by the £200,000 Betfair Chase. Silviniaco Conti (Paul Nicholls), chasing a third victory in the three-mile highlight, is the 10/11 favourite with Betfair Sportsbook. He will face stiff competition from 2013 winner Cue Card (Colin Tizzard, 3/1), plus the David Pipe-trained pair of Dynaste (5/1) and Ballynagour (8/1).
Betfair Chase - Betfair Sportsbook prices: 10/11 Silviniaco Conti, 3/1 Cue Card; 5/1 Dynaste; 8/1 Ballynagour; 14/1 Holywell, Menorah; 20/1 O'Faolains Boy
EW 1/4 - 1, 2
