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 sent at 17-2 in the hands of Sean Bowen for his return over the smaller barriers and his endurance came to the fore in the closing phases, as the champion jockey outbattled his bro 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, but Curtis is lured 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 actually improved from in 2015.


"I hoped he would run among those races where you complete in the very first 5, however enjoying him go round I knew he was going to win since of the way he was travelling and you know he stays.


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


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 primary goal was the Coral Gold Cup but it's great to firm here today on the chase track and looking at the projection they are not due excessive rain here next week.


"He'll enter into that off top-weight most likely and Dan's (Skelton, Protektorat and Grey Dawning) rated higher will not run.


"The Betfair Chase is really appealing, 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, but I would be siding that method now. You would hope he may be a Gold Cup horse, but I'm not going to push him down that road if he's not to that level.


"I love the way he has improved and you have actually seen how tough he is and he remains so well. He can go a great gallop and those are all the important things you need 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 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 instant she might object to the Coral "Racing-Super-Series" Mares' Novices' Hurdle.


Derham stated: "She was excellent and I thought it was quite a deep race. The important things I was most delighted about was how well she jumped and she stays 2 miles well, so Paul (O'Brien) desired to make plenty of use of her.


"He said she had a real good blow from the back of 3 out, so you wish to think she would enhance plenty and she's an extremely nice mare and one to look forward to.


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


"It would be great 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 hurdle today and it will be great making strategies with her from here."


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