Haiti Couleurs Delights With Newbury Comeback Win

Haiti Couleurs enjoyed the best tune-up for a potential 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 out off at 17-2 in the hands of Sean Bowen for his return over the smaller sized challenges and his stamina came to the fore in the closing phases, as the champ jockey outbattled his bro James Bowen aboard runner-up Bill Baxter.


Britain's shortest-priced 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 told Sky Sports Racing: "I'm not excessively shocked he won as I knew he was truly well and had improved from in 2015.


"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 because of the method he was taking a trip and you understand he stays.


"He ran difficulties off 135 last year and was beaten, however he's won off 10lb greater here, so it looks like he has actually enhanced."


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 main objective was the Coral Gold Cup but it's excellent to company 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 appealing, I understand it's only 2 and a half weeks away but 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 choose what they wish to do, however I would be siding that method 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 enjoy the way he has actually enhanced and you have seen how hard 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 exciting."


Haiti Couleurs may not be returning to Newbury on 'Hennessy day' but one who could is Harry Derham's Jackie Hobbs after making a winning obstacles launching in the CSP Mares' Novices' Hurdle as the 13-8 favourite.


A useful 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" Mares' Novices' Hurdle.


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


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


"Coming back to Newbury is a definite choice as long as she comes out of this all right and remains in excellent form - we would definitely consider it.


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


Anthony Honeyball's Lord Baddesley (6-4) came 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 method of Chris Gordon's 13-8 preferred Bass Hunter.