Haiti Couleurs Delights With Newbury Comeback Win

Haiti Couleurs enjoyed the for a possible 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 dispatched at 17-2 in the hands of Sean Bowen for his return over the smaller sized obstacles and his stamina came forward in the closing stages, as the champ jockey outbattled his brother James Bowen aboard runner-up Bill Baxter.


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


Curtis informed Sky Sports Racing: "I'm not extremely shocked he won as I knew he was truly well and had actually enhanced from last year.


"I hoped he would run one of those races where you end up in the very first 5, however enjoying him go round I knew he was going to win due to the fact that of the way he was travelling and you understand he stays.


"He ran obstacles off 135 in 2015 and was beaten, but he's won off 10lb greater here, so it looks like he has improved."


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


One what follows, she included: "There's advantages and disadvantages to both races, our primary goal was the Coral Gold Cup but it's good to company here today on the chase track and looking at the projection they are not due excessive rain here next week.


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


"The Betfair Chase is actually tempting, I know it's just 2 and a half weeks away however he's the type of horse you can get away with doing that with and he will be fresh on Monday morning.


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


"I like the way he has actually enhanced and you have actually seen how tough he is and he stays so well. He can go a good gallop and those are all the important things you require for a Gold Cup, so we will see, it's interesting."


Haiti Couleurs might not be returning to Newbury on 'Hennessy day' but one who might is Harry Derham's Jackie Hobbs after making a winning obstacles debut in the CSP Mares' Novices' Hurdle as the 13-8 favourite.


A useful bumper entertainer 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 instant she could contest the Listed Play Coral "Racing-Super-Series" Mares' Novices' Hurdle.


Derham said: "She was excellent and I believed it was quite a deep race. The thing I was most delighted about was how well she jumped and she remains two miles well, so Paul (O'Brien) wished to make lots of use of her.


"He said she had a genuine great blow from the back of three out, so you would like to believe she would improve plenty and she's an extremely nice mare and one to anticipate.


"Coming back to Newbury is a certain choice as long as she comes out of this all ideal and is in excellent form - we would definitely consider it.


"It would be nice to wind up in a race like the Jane Seymour at Sandown later on in the year, however it's excellent to get over the very first obstacle today and it will be nice making plans with her from here."


Anthony Honeyball's Lord Baddesley (6-4) got back in splendid 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 favourite Bass Hunter.