Tea For Two continues a brilliant season for British-bred jumpers

A hot spell for British-bred horses over jumps continued at Aintree on Thursday when Tea For Two landed the Betway Bowl by a neck from compatriot Cue Card.

Other premier races won by horses carrying the GB suffix throughout the 2016-17 season are the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Sizing John), Queen Mother Champion Chase (Special Tiara), King George VI Chase (Thistlecrack), Ascot Chase (Cue Card), Stayers' Hurdle (Nichols Canyon), Christmas Hurdle (Yanworth), Long Walk Hurdle (Unowhatimeanharry) and Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Irving).

Last year's Grand National also fell to a British-bred when Rule The World triumphed.

Tea For Two was a close fourth to Thistlecrack in the King George before winning an Exeter graduation chase and unseating his rider in the Gold Cup.

He is trained by Nick Williams for wife Jane Williams and Len Jakeman, and ridden by Jane's daughter Lizzie Kelly.

Tea For Two is by brilliant jumps sire Kayf Tara, a dual winner of the Ascot Gold Cup by Sadler's Wells also responsible for Special Tiara and Thistlecrack, as well as this season's Betfair Hurdle winner and Supreme Novices' Hurdle fourth Ballyandy, Grade 2-winning novice chaser Identity Thief and classy staying handicap chasers Blaklion and Carole's Destrier.

Kayf Tara, now 23, is standing this season at Overbury Stud in Gloucestershire at a fee of £10,000.

Tea For Two was bred by the late Nick Lewin out of the Tragic Role mare One For Me, a five-time winner over hurdles including in a valuable mares' handicap at Wincanton in 2003.

Lewin left the young horse to his widow and he was reared by consignor and pre-trainer Colin Tinkler at Baydon in Wiltshire before being sold as a three-year-old to Jane Williams for £24,000 at the DBS Spring Store Sale in May 2012.

Tea For Two is a half-brother to Katchmore, a four-time winner over hurdles, Act For Me, a chase winner at Pau, and Second To Nun, a winner on the Flat.

What makes the hot spell for British-breds all the more creditable is how few are produced compared with in Ireland.

In 2009, the year Tea For Two was born, just 802 foals were born with an intended career over jumps, compared with 3,213 in Ireland. Both countries also have to compete with numerous high-class jumpers imported from France.