Haiti Couleurs Delights With Newbury Comeback Win
Haiti Couleurs delighted in the perfect 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 dispatched at 17-2 in the hands of Sean Bowen for his return over the smaller barriers and his endurance came forward in the closing phases, 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 lured to divert to Haydock a week earlier with her star chaser.
Curtis informed Sky Sports Racing: "I'm not excessively stunned 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, but enjoying him go round I understood he was going to win due to the fact that of the way he was travelling and you understand he remains.
"He ran off difficulties off 135 last year and was beaten, however he's won off 10lb higher here, so it looks like he has actually enhanced."
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 aim was the Coral Gold Cup however it's good to company here today on the chase track and taking a look at the forecast 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 will not run.
"The Betfair Chase is actually tempting, I know 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 desire 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 road if he's not to that level.
"I like the way he has actually enhanced and you have actually seen how hard 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 going back to Newbury on 'Hennessy day' however one who might is Harry Derham's Jackie Hobbs after making a winning obstacles 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, but in the immediate she could contest the Listed Play Coral "Racing-Super-Series" Hurdle.
Derham stated: "She was excellent and I believed it was rather a deep race. The important things I was most pleased about was how well she jumped and she stays 2 miles well, so Paul (O'Brien) desired to make lots of usage of her.
"He stated she had a real good blow from the back of 3 out, so you want to believe she would improve plenty and she's an extremely good mare and one to look forward to.
"Returning to Newbury is a guaranteed alternative as long as she comes out of this all right and remains in great 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 great to overcome the very first obstacle today and it will be great making plans with her from here."
Anthony Honeyball's Lord Baddesley (6-4) came home in magnificent 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 favourite Bass Hunter.