Latest news with #RebeccaCurtis
Irish Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish Grand National winner nearly died before running
Haiti Couleurs sparked jubilant scenes after winning the Boylesports Irish Grand National for Welsh trainer Rebecca Curtis and jockey Sean Bowen earlier this week. The eight-year-old followed up his Cheltenham Festival victory with another success in the €500,000 contest at Fairyhouse, coming home ahead of the Ted Walsh-trained and Mark Walsh-ridden veteran Any Second Now, with Quai De Bourbon back in third under Paul Townend for Willie Mullins. Haiti Couleurs has now won over €355,000 in prize money for his owners, The Brizzle Boys, which is made up of accountant Simon Prowting, lawyer James Conyers and businessman Dave McDermott, who are all from Bristol. However, things could have been very different for the gelding after he suffered a serious tendon injury before he was seen on a racecourse. Curtis revealed on the At The Races' Unbridled podcast: "He had quite a bad injury after I bought him, he's obviously run in his point-to-point. I brought him back in for his novice hurdle season. "He was ready to run in Chepstow. And about two weeks before, we were schooling him, he sliced straight into the bottom of his tendon, had some surgery that day. Click on this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest Cheltenham Festival news and top stories from the Irish Mirror direct to your phone on WhatsApp. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "Nearly a life-ending, career-ending injury and we basically had to miss all of that season and we didn't know if we were going to get him back. But I guess he had probably, I don't know, 18 months, 12, 18 months off. "So he's lucky really to be racing at all, let alone doing what he's doing." The trainer told how Haiti Couleurs got a bit warm before the Easter Monday race, but luckily it didn't affect his performance. "He did get a bit warm before the race," she said. "But I think there was just so much going on, parades, bands, anthems, long traveling. It did all get to him a bit, but obviously it didn't affect his performance. "And then he tried to sort of jump his way to the front of the horse, taking him on the whole way, which I thought, 'oh God, I hope he's going to get a breather in, not do too much', because he's got some eyes. But none of that seemed to matter. He just did it all really easy in his comfort zone." On the victory, she added: "He was absolutely amazing. I'm so, so chuffed for him, for the course, the owners. "It just couldn't have gone more smoothly, really, could it?"
The Irish Sun
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Haiti Couleurs powers to Irish Grand National glory as emotional Sean Bowen hails ‘unbelievable' win
SEAN BOWEN was left shocked as the soon-to-be champion jockey in Britain claimed the Irish Grand National with Haiti Couleurs. The 13-2 shot raced prominently alongside Bushmans Pass before the rival faded as he ploughed onto victory at 2 Sean Bowen celebrates onboard Haiti Couleurs on their way to winning the BoyleSports Irish Grand National Chase on day three of the Fairyhouse Easter Festival 2 Wales' Sean Bowen and winning trainer Rebecca Curtis became the first non-Irish winners of the race since 2014 Bowen had kept plenty in reserve as Haiti Couleurs pulled clear to win by three and a quarter lengths from the ever-game Any Second Now with Quai De Bourbon third and Dunboyne fourth. Speaking to He said: "I honestly can't believe it. He was doing a half-speed the whole way round, he was hacking and at the same time I was frightened as he got fairly revved up beforehand. "I actually thought I'm a bit too keen, as he was doing everything in second gear. read more on horse racing "I'm so grateful to everyone, obviously I couldn't ride him at Cheltenham and I'm so grateful to Becky for letting me back on him. "He just stays very well and jumps very, very well. No words, no words." He added: "To be champion jockey is all I've ever wanted and I supposed when you get it then you want to do more. "I need the big winners as well and it's great that this lad has done it for me." Most read in Horse Racing Haiti Couleurs has now been trimmed into 14-1 from 25-1 for next year's Grand National at Aintree by Betfair Sportsbook. But trainer America's oldest horse racing track lays abandoned after closing down following 170 years of history The all-Welsh success for Rebecca Curtis and Sean Bowen was the first non-Irish winner since 2014. The Brizzle Boys owned horse's trainer was shocked but delighted with the result. She added: "He's just so tough. I was a little bit worried as he likes to jump his way to the front and all the time I hoped he wasn't doing too much. After the second last I got excited and I knew he'd keep going. "We went a bit wild when he won. I'm a speechless now. It's amazing and a massive boost for the yard. "Could you ever imagine he can become a Gold Cup-type horse? He's not slow, I know he's won over three [miles] five [furlongs] in his last two races but he doesn't need to have that trip. He loves Cheltenham too."
