Towcester Preview: Tea can bring Home the bacon

On a competitive eight-race card at Towcester, Home For Tea looks worth siding with on his handicap debut in the 2.00.

Trained by Tom Symonds, the gelding has only had five career starts and after failing to cut any ice in the first four of those posted a much better effort last time out when fourth of 11 to Benbecula at Wincanton.

He chased the clear winner for much of the 2m journey until paying the price for his hard work and weakening two from home to be beaten 11 lengths.

It was an effort which suggested that Home For Tea may well have more to offer when tackling handicaps, and he now gets the chance to show what he can do off what looks a fair opening mark of 92.

The five-year-old would not have to step up much on his latest effort to play a leading role in what is a very weak class 6 conditional jockeys’ contest, and also has a very able pilot in the saddle in the shape of Benjamin Poste, who takes another 3lb off his back.

It’s interesting that there has been plenty of support for Home For Tea in the market this morning, and it would be no surprise to see leave his bare form well behind now handicapping.

Tom Scudamore is riding better than ever this season, and looks to have a great chance of notching another winner on Rebel High in the handicap chase at 2.40.

The 10-year-old is a former point winner, who has finished in the frame on seven of his nine starts over fences.

He ran very well to finish runner-up to Morgan’s Bay at Leicester last March off a mark of 92 and now gets into this off 86.

That gives Rebel High every chance at the weights, and it’s interesting that he comes into this on the back of a break after a solid third when last seen in action 126 days ago.

His run at Leicester came after 121 days on the sidelines, so he clearly goes well when fresh and connections seem to have found him a nice opportunity to open his account under rules.

In the bumper that closes the card at 5.45, Hel Tara looks more than capable of making a winning debut.