Curtis hoping for ‘nice run’ from returning Couleurs

Rebecca Curtis is “not going to be expecting too much” from her stable star Haiti Couleurs when he makes his seasonal reappearance over hurdles at Newbury on Thursday.

The eight-year-old enjoyed a fantastic novice campaign over fences last season, winning four of his five starts, including big-race victories in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.

Haiti Couleurs holds entries in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 22 and the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury the following week, with Curtis keen to blow away any cobwebs ahead of one of those major prizes in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle.

“Hopefully they get a bit more rain, just to make the ground a bit safer. It was just really important to get him out somewhere before either the Hennessy (Coral Gold Cup) at the end of the month or the Betfair Chase,” said the Pembrokeshire-based trainer.

“I wouldn’t want to be going either of those races with a horse like him, I don’t think, without some sort of prep run.

“He seems very good. Obviously he’s not really a hurdler so I’m not going to be expecting too much, just a nice run where he travels well and finishes nicely, but after that it’s purely to get a nice blow into him.”

While the Coral Gold Cup has been a target for Haiti Couleurs since he returned from his summer break, Curtis could yet switch him to the first Grade One of the season on Merseyside.

She added: “That (Coral Gold Cup) was the original plan with him, but we’ll have to see what the ground is like nearer the time. Newbury is currently good to firm on the chase track and also what top-weight is going to be is going to be quite important – I’d rather he wasn’t top-weight in a race like that.

“It will also be interesting to see what the ground is at Haydock and what else runs in that, so we’ve a couple of options.”

Although Haiti Couleurs is rated 7lb lower over hurdles than he is over fences, he will still have to concede weight to each of his 10 rivals, which include Nicky Henderson’s East India Express, the Olly Murphy-trained Act Of Authority and Tranquil Sea from Dan Skelton’s yard.