Horse trained in Wales captures Irish Grand National to give Sean Bowen biggest win
A horse trained in west Wales captured the BoyleSports Irish Grand National to give jockey Sean Bowen the biggest success of his career. Haiti Couleurs, trained in Newport, Pembrokeshire, has propelled his trainer Rebecca Curtis back into the big race spotlight this season.
He has won three of his four starts over fences and proved his stamina credentials with a four and a half length victory in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Under Bowen, the 13-2 chance led from the start and found plenty at the finish to repel the late challenge of veteran Any Second Now leaving the 13-year-old to settle for second for the second year running.
The Willie Mullins-trained favourite Quai De Bourbon finished third and Dunboyne fourth.
Bowen, also from Pembrokeshire, will be crowned Britain's champion jump jockey for the first time on Saturday and victory in the £428,000 race at Fairyhouse, the richest jumps race run in Ireland, topped his other big race accomplishments.
Bowen said: 'I can't quite believe how easy it was all happening. He got into a great rhythm and jumped amazing. What a job Becky's done to keep bringing him back this season.
'There are two main Nationals, the Irish National and the English National. To win this and top of the season I've had is incredible.
'When you are champion jockey I thought that would fulfil my dreams but you always want a bit more and want them big winners and a big winner we've had.'
Curtis has trained six Cheltenham Festival winners but Haiti Couleur's victory in March was her first for five years.
Curtis said: 'I am so proud of the little horse. I got excited at the second last. I knew he would keep going because he is so tough. It's just brilliant.
'It's amazing, a massive boost to the yard and brilliant for the owners. It puts a little bit of faith back in them to hopefully reinvest. What we need now is a few more nice type horses. That's what we've been lacking over the last five to eight years.
'I don't have owners that can spend hundreds of thousands. We bought him for £68,000. I just like him as a horse. Could you imagine he could be a Gold Cup horse. He's not slow and he loves Cheltenham."
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