Haiti Couleurs Delights With Newbury Comeback Win

Haiti Couleurs delighted in the ideal tune-up for a potential tilt at the Betfair Chase when making a winning reappearance in the 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 challenges and his stamina came to the fore in the closing stages, as the champion 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, but Curtis is lured to divert to Haydock a week earlier with her star chaser.


Curtis informed Sky Sports Racing: "I'm not excessively surprised he won as I knew he was really well and had actually improved from last year.


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


"He ran off difficulties off 135 last year and was beaten, but he's won off 10lb higher here, so it appears like he has improved."


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


One what comes next, she added: "There's advantages and disadvantages to both races, our main goal was the Coral Gold Cup however it's great to firm here today on the chase track and taking a look at the projection 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 greater won't run.


"The Betfair Chase is truly appealing, I understand it's only two 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 morning.


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


"I love the method he has enhanced and you have seen how difficult he is and he remains 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 amazing."


Haiti Couleurs might not be returning to Newbury on 'Hennessy day' however 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 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, but in the instant she might object to the Listed Play Coral "Racing-Super-Series" Mares' Novices' Hurdle.


Derham stated: "She was excellent and I thought it was rather a deep race. The thing I was most happy about was how well she jumped and she remains 2 miles well, so Paul (O'Brien) wished to make lots of usage of her.


"He said she had a genuine great blow from the back of 3 out, so you wish to believe she would enhance plenty and she's an extremely nice mare and one to eagerly anticipate.


"Returning to Newbury is a certain option as long as she comes out of this all ideal and is in great type - we would definitely consider it.


"It would be good 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 great making strategies with her from here."


Anthony Honeyball's Lord Baddesley (6-4) came home in remarkable isolation 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.