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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?"
Irish Daily Mirror
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Strong Irish connection of Welsh-trained Irish Grand National winner
Haiti Couleurs became the first overseas winner of the Boylesports Irish Grand National since Shutthefrontdoor in 2014 after triumphing for Welsh trainer Rebecca Curtis on Easter Monday. The eight-year-old put up a tremendous performance to win at Fairyhouse under Sean Bowen to follow up his victory in the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last month. Haiti Couleurs is owned by a syndicated named 'The Brizzle Boys', who hail from Bristol in England. It is made up of accountant Simon Prowting, lawyer James Conyers and businessman Dave McDermott. However, there is a strong Irish connection to the owners as James' wife Helena is from Donegal. He told RTE after the race: "There's a shout for Donegal as well. This is my wife Helena from Donegal." Sent off at 13-2, Haiti Couleurs was in the front pair throughout along with Bushmans Pass and when that one dropped away it became a case of could he hold on. 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. The Ted Walsh-trained veteran Any Second Now emerged as a big threat, as did the favourite Quai De Bourbon, while Dunboyne had also travelled well into contention. But Bowen had saved plenty and he went away to win by three and a quarter lengths from the gallant Any Second Now – was was finishing in the runner-up spot for the second year running – with Quai De Bourbon third and Dunboyne fourth. The winning jockey 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. 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."
