The chaser carried the biggest ever weight when taking the Coral-sponsored marathon at Chepstow, sparking celebrations for Pembrokeshire pair Sean Bowen and Rebecca Curtis
Haiti Couleurs set a new weight-carrying record with a brilliant home win in the Coral Welsh Grand National for Sean Bowen and Rebecca Curtis.
Limonali (1961), Carvill’s Hill (1991) and Native River (2016) all raced to first in Chepstow’s marathon event saddled with 11st 12lb, but the 5-1 chance carried 1lb more to go into the history books.
Bouncing back from his Betfair Chase flop in November, Haiti Couleurs raced with plenty of enthusiasm up front and fended off the late challenge of the Sue Smith and Joel Parkinson-trained runner-up O’Connell up the run-in.
“Sean said he had to go to the front as he couldn’t hold him!” said Curtis, who sent the smart chaser to capture the Irish National at Fairyhouse in April.
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“I’m absolutely delighted to get him back as I was a bit upset about it all (after Haydock). What’s nice about today is after that run, everyone wrote him off. I thought the weight was going to get him, but he’s absolutely amazing.
“We’re all Welsh and it’s a prestigious race to win.”
Curtis was keeping up an excellent record for female National Hunt trainers in the 3m6½f contest, run on quicker ground than usual on a bright afternoon in Wales.
Mel Rowley (Val Dancer, 2024), Nicky Martin (The Two Amigos, 2022), Kerry Lee (Mountainous, 2015) and Venetia Williams (Emperors Choice, 2014) are among those on the recent roll of honour.
Haiti Couleurs carried the silks of Simon Prowting, James Conyers and Dave McDermott across the line from O’Connell, with Deafening Silence (28-1) placing third and Livin On Luco (14-1) fourth.
The stayer was a first winner of the race for Bowen, who has ridden 162 winners this season and is on-course to go back-to-back in the jockeys’ championship.
Just 24 hours earlier, he was just denied the King George VI Chase by fellow Welshman Ben Jones, as The Jukebox Man held off Banbridge in an epic conclusion to the Boxing Day showpiece.
“What a racehorse!” said Bowen, warmly welcomed back by the crowd.
“These are the races you want to win, on a Welsh horse for a Welsh trainer. Rebecca used to babysit me as a kid, so to win it for her is amazing.”
