Haiti Couleurs Delights With Newbury Comeback Win

Haiti Couleurs delighted in the best tune-up for a prospective tilt at the Betfair Chase when making a winning reappearance in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Newbury.


Rebecca Curtis' Cheltenham Festival and Irish Grand National hero was sent at 17-2 in the hands of Sean Bowen for his return over the smaller obstacles and his endurance came to the fore in the closing phases, as the champion jockey outbattled his brother James Bowen aboard runner-up Bill Baxter.


Britain's shortest-priced contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Haiti Couleurs holds an entry for the Coral Gold Cup back at Newbury on November 29, however Curtis is lured to divert to Haydock a week earlier with her star chaser.


Curtis told Sky Sports Racing: "I'm not overly stunned he won as I knew he was really well and had enhanced from in 2015.


"I hoped he would run among those races where you complete in the very first 5, however enjoying him go round I understood he was going to win due to the fact that of the method he was taking a trip and you understand he stays.


"He ran obstacles off 135 in 2015 and was beaten, however he's won off 10lb higher here, so it appears like he has enhanced."


Haiti Couleurs made a winning return at Newbury (David Davies/PA)


One what follows, she added: "There's pros and cons to both races, our main goal was the Coral Gold Cup however it's great to company here today on the chase track and looking at the forecast they are not due too much rain here next week.


"He'll enter into that off top-weight probably and Dan's (Skelton, Protektorat and Grey Dawning) ranked higher won't run.


"The Betfair Chase is really appealing, I know it's only 2 and a half weeks away but he's the kind of horse you can get away with doing that with and he will be fresh on Monday early morning.


"I will chat to the owners and choose what they desire to do, but I would be siding that method now. You would hope he might be a Gold Cup horse, but I'm not going to press him down that roadway if he's not to that level.


"I like the method he has actually improved and you have actually seen how tough he is and he stays so well. He can go an excellent gallop and those are all the things you require for a Gold Cup, so we will see, it's exciting."


Haiti Couleurs may not be going back to Newbury on 'Hennessy day' however one who might is Harry Derham's Jackie Hobbs after making a winning hurdles launching in the CSP Mares' Novices' Hurdle as the 13-8 favourite.


A beneficial bumper performer last term, she was handed a quote of 20-1 by Paddy Power for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, however in the immediate she could object to the Listed Play Coral "Racing-Super-Series" Mares' Novices' Hurdle.


Derham said: "She was great and I believed it was rather a deep race. The important things I was most pleased about was how well she jumped and she remains two miles well, so Paul (O'Brien) wished to make plenty of usage of her.


"He said she had a real good blow from the back of three out, so you would like to think she would enhance plenty and she's a really nice mare and one to anticipate.


"Returning to Newbury is a guaranteed choice as long as she comes out of this all ideal and is in excellent type - we would absolutely consider it.


"It would be great to wind up in a race like the Jane Seymour at Sandown later in the year, but it's good to overcome the first difficulty today and it will be nice making with her from here."


Anthony Honeyball's Lord Baddesley (6-4) got home in magnificent seclusion to win the Daily Racing Boosts At BetVictor Handicap Chase, while the concluding British Horse Society Open National Hunt Flat Race went the way of Chris Gordon's 13-8 preferred Bass Hunter.