Haiti Couleurs Delights With Newbury Comeback Win

Haiti Couleurs 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 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 to the fore 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, but 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 understood he was really well and had improved from last year.


"I hoped he would run among those races where you complete in the very first 5, but seeing him go round I understood he was going to win since of the way he was taking a trip and you understand he stays.


"He ran off difficulties 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 added: "There's pros and cons to both races, our primary objective was the Coral Gold Cup but it's great 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 most likely and Dan's (Skelton, Protektorat and Grey Dawning) rated greater won't run.


"The Betfair Chase is truly tempting, I understand 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 early morning.


"I will talk to the owners and decide what they want to do, but I would be siding that way now. You would hope he may be a Gold Cup horse, however I'm not going to push him down that road 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 great gallop and those are all the things you need for a Gold Cup, so we will see, it's interesting."


Haiti Couleurs may not be returning to Newbury on 'Hennessy day' however one who could is Harry Derham's Jackie Hobbs after making a winning difficulties launching 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 immediate she might object to the Listed Play Coral "Racing-Super-Series" Mares' Novices' Hurdle.


Derham stated: "She was excellent and I believed it was quite a deep race. The important things I was most happy about was how well she jumped and she remains 2 miles well, so Paul (O'Brien) wished to make a lot of use of her.


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


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


"It would be nice to end up in a race like the Jane Seymour at Sandown later on in the year, however it's excellent to get over the first obstacle today and it will be good making plans 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 method of Chris Gordon's 13-8 preferred Bass Hunter.