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 National hero was sent off at 17-2 in the hands of Sean Bowen for his return over the smaller obstacles and his stamina came to the fore in the closing stages, as the champ jockey outbattled his sibling James Bowen aboard runner-up Bill Baxter.


Britain's shortest-priced contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Haiti Couleurs holds an entry for the Coral Gold Cup back at 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 stunned 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 finish in the first 5, but enjoying him go round I understood he was going to win due to the fact that of the method he was travelling and you understand he remains.


"He ran difficulties off 135 in 2015 and was beaten, however he's won off 10lb greater 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 benefits and drawbacks to both races, our primary objective was the Coral Gold Cup but it's great to firm here today on the chase track and taking a look 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 higher will not run.


"The Betfair Chase is actually tempting, I know it's just 2 and a half weeks away but 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 chat to the owners and decide what they wish to do, however 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 improved 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 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 difficulties debut 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 contest the Listed Play Coral "Racing-Super-Series" Mares' Novices' Hurdle.


Derham said: "She was good 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 2 miles well, so Paul (O'Brien) wished to make a lot of usage of her.


"He said she had a real excellent blow from the back of three out, so you would like to think she would enhance plenty and she's an extremely nice mare and one to look forward to.


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


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


Anthony Honeyball's Lord Baddesley (6-4) got home in superb 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.