Welsh National redemption bid an option for Haiti Couleurs

Haiti Couleurs could try to redeem himself in next month’s Welsh Grand National following his Betfair Chase “no-show” at Haydock on Saturday.

Following a comeback victory over hurdles at Newbury, last season’s National Hunt Chase and Irish Grand National hero was considered a major contender ahead of his first start at Grade One level on Merseyside.

However, champion jockey Sean Bowen was sending out distress signals at the rear of the field from an early stage and eventually pulled up his mount after it was obvious he was not going to get involved in the finish.

Speaking at Exeter on Sunday, trainer Rebecca Curtis insisted she has not lost any faith in her stable star and dismissed any notion that he simply had his limitations exposed at Haydock.

“He’s fine, it was just an absolute no-show yesterday for him. He was beaten as soon the tapes went down and didn’t turn up at all,” she told Racing TV.

“I nearly knew travelling there – he’s a horse that gets really revved up and sweaty, (but) he was very quiet going there.

“He just had an off-day, I don’t think it was anything to do with it being a Graded race or (a lack of) ability. He ran at Newbury only two and a half weeks earlier, Sean (Bowen) didn’t hit him and we thought he had an easy-ish race, but he obviously didn’t and it’s taken a lot out of him.

“He puts so much into his racing he needs plenty of time between races, which he didn’t get, so we’ll put a line through that. I know he’s still a good horse, we’ll just get it right the next day.

“I do fancy the Welsh National for him, which is another five weeks away. He hasn’t had a hard race in Haydock, Sean has pulled him up and if we can freshen him up and get him back to his best in the next five weeks, that will be an option for him I think.”