Haiti Couleurs Delights With Newbury Comeback Win

Haiti Couleurs enjoyed the ideal tune-up 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 was sent out off at 17-2 in the hands of Sean Bowen for his return over the smaller challenges and his stamina came forward in the closing stages, as the champion jockey outbattled his bro 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 previously 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 improved from last year.


"I hoped he would run one of those races where you finish in the first 5, but watching him go round I knew he was going to win due to the fact that of the method he was taking a trip and you understand he remains.


"He ran off hurdles off 135 in 2015 and was beaten, but he's won off 10lb higher here, so it appears like he has actually improved."


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


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


"He'll enter into that off top-weight most likely and Dan's (Skelton, Protektorat and Grey Dawning) rated higher will not run.


"The Betfair Chase is truly tempting, I understand it's just 2 and a half weeks away however 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 decide what they wish 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 press him down that road if he's not to that level.


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


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 hurdles launching in the CSP Mares' Novices' Hurdle as the 13-8 favourite.


A helpful 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 immediate she might object to the Listed Play Coral "Racing-Super-Series" Mares' Novices' Hurdle.


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


"He stated she had a real excellent blow from the back of 3 out, so you would like to believe she would improve plenty and she's an extremely great mare and one to anticipate.


"Coming back to Newbury is a guaranteed choice as long as she comes out of this all right and is in good kind - we would definitely consider it.


"It would be nice to end up in a race like the Jane Seymour at Sandown later in the year, but it's excellent to get over the very first difficulty today and it will be nice making strategies 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 preferred Bass Hunter.