Haiti Couleurs loved the proper tune-up for a possible tilt on the Betfair Chase when making a profitable reappearance within the Pertemps Community Handicap Hurdle at Newbury.
Rebecca Curtis’ Cheltenham Competition and Irish Grand Nationwide hero was despatched off at 17-2 within the palms of Sean Bowen for his return over the smaller obstacles and his stamina got here to the fore within the closing levels, because the champion jockey outbattled his brother James Bowen aboard runner-up Invoice Baxter.
Britain’s shortest-priced contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Haiti Couleurs holds an entry for the Coral Gold Cup again at Newbury on November 29, however Curtis is tempted to divert to Haydock every week earlier along with her star chaser.
Curtis advised Sky Sports activities Racing: “I’m not overly surprised he won as I knew he was really well and had improved from last year.
“I hoped he would run a kind of races the place you end within the first 5, however watching him go spherical I knew he was going to win due to the best way he was travelling and you understand he stays.
“He ran off hurdles off 135 last year and was beaten, but he’s won off 10lb higher here, so it looks like he has improved.”
On what comes subsequent, she added: “There’s execs and cons to each races, our essential goal was the Coral Gold Cup nevertheless it’s good to agency right here as we speak on the chase monitor and searching on the forecast they aren’t due an excessive amount of rain right here subsequent week.
“He’ll go into that off top-weight in all probability and Dan’s (Skelton, Protektorat and Gray Dawning) rated increased will not run.
“The Betfair Chase is really tempting, I know it’s only two 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 morning.
“I’ll chat to the house owners and resolve what they wish to do, however I’d be siding that approach now. You’ll hope he could be a Gold Cup horse, however I am not going to push him down that highway if he is to not that degree.
“I love the way he has improved and you have seen how tough he is and he stays so well. He can go a good gallop and those are all the things you need for a Gold Cup, so we will see, it’s exciting.”
