Haiti Couleurs Delights With Newbury Comeback Win

Haiti Couleurs took pleasure 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 challenges and his endurance came to the fore in the closing phases, as the champion jockey outbattled his sibling James Bowen Bill Baxter.


Britain's shortest-priced contender 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 earlier with her star chaser.


Curtis told Sky Sports Racing: "I'm not extremely shocked he won as I understood he was really well and had actually improved from in 2015.


"I hoped he would run one of those races where you complete in the first 5, but viewing him go round I understood he was going to win since of the way he was travelling and you understand he stays.


"He ran obstacles 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 included: "There's advantages and disadvantages to both races, our main objective was the Coral Gold Cup but it's good 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) ranked higher won't run.


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


"I will talk to the owners and decide what they desire to do, however I would be siding that method now. You would hope he might be a Gold Cup horse, however I'm not going to push him down that road if he's not to that level.


"I love the way he has actually improved and you have actually seen how difficult he is and he remains so well. He can go a great gallop and those are all the things you require 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 hurdles 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 contest the Listed Play Coral "Racing-Super-Series" Mares' Novices' Hurdle.


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


"He stated she had a genuine good blow from the back of three out, so you wish to think she would enhance plenty and she's a very good mare and one to eagerly anticipate.


"Coming back to Newbury is a guaranteed alternative as long as she comes out of this all right and is in excellent 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 excellent to overcome the first hurdle today and it will be nice making strategies with her from here."


Anthony Honeyball's Lord Baddesley (6-4) got 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 way of Chris Gordon's 13-8 favourite Bass Hunter.