Haiti Couleurs Delights With Newbury Comeback Win

Haiti Couleurs enjoyed the best 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 sent out off at 17-2 in the hands of Sean Bowen for his return over the smaller sized barriers and his endurance came forward in the closing phases, as the champion 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 tempted to divert to Haydock a week previously with her star chaser.


Curtis informed Sky Sports Racing: "I'm not excessively surprised he won as I knew he was actually well and had improved from last year.


"I hoped he would run one of those races where you finish in the first 5, but viewing him go round I knew he was going to win due to the fact that of the way he was travelling and you he stays.


"He ran hurdles off 135 last year and was beaten, but 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 added: "There's benefits and drawbacks to both races, our primary goal 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 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 will not run.


"The Betfair Chase is actually tempting, I know 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 morning.


"I will talk to the owners and decide what they wish 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 roadway if he's not to that level.


"I enjoy the way he has enhanced and you have seen how hard he is and he remains 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' however one who could is Harry Derham's Jackie Hobbs after making a winning hurdles 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 might object to the Listed Play Coral "Racing-Super-Series" Mares' Novices' Hurdle.


Derham said: "She was excellent and I thought it was rather a deep race. The important things I was most delighted about was how well she leapt and she remains 2 miles well, so Paul (O'Brien) desired to make lots of usage of her.


"He stated she had a genuine excellent blow from the back of three out, so you wish to believe she would improve plenty and she's an extremely nice mare and one to look forward to.


"Coming back to Newbury is a definite alternative as long as she comes out of this all right and is in great form - we would certainly consider it.


"It would be nice to end up in a race like the Jane Seymour at Sandown later in the year, but it's good 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) got back in superb seclusion 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.