Haiti Couleurs connections can expect to get a clearer picture of where he stands in the staying division after the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.
The Rebecca Curtis-trained eight-year-old won four of his five novice starts over fences last season, rounding off his campaign with major race victories in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.
After blowing away all the cobwebs with a comeback victory over hurdles at Newbury just over a fortnight ago, a return to the Berkshire circuit for next weekend’s Coral Gold Cup was mooted, but he will instead move up to Grade One level on Merseyside.
“He seems to be in top form. It’s a shame we don’t have an extra week with him, but there are no indications at home that he is not fresh. He seems very good,” said the Welsh trainer.
“I think Saturday will be very interesting and we will find out what level he is at, I think. I prefer to discover this side of Christmas because (then) you know more or less where you are going with him after Christmas and the spring.”
“Having said that, it won’t be the be-all and end-all for him on Saturday. There are tracks that might suit him a little better and offer a bit more improvement, but at the same time Haydock has the good old straight and I think you need to have a good stayer there if the track is on the slow side.”
Reflecting on his win over the smaller obstacles, Curtis added: “I wouldn’t say I was totally shocked by it because I knew he was settled in really well and I knew he had improved a bit. When I saw the way he was traveling and jumping, after a few furlongs I said, ‘I think he’s going to win this’. I just get that feeling from him.
“He’s definitely looking a little bit sharper since Newbury and he’s a little bit sharper in his work, not that we’ve been working hard on him. I’ve kind of just been throwing everything at him to freshen him up rather than putting a lot of work into him, so I can’t tell you much about his homework, but he’s definitely looking sharper.”
Last year’s Betfair Chase saw Venetia Williams-trained Haydock specialist Royale Pagaille successfully defend his crown at the expense of Gray Dawning, who is favorite to do better again 12 months later, with his trainer Dan Skelton admitting there will be “no excuses” this time.
Skelton said: “I would never want to take anything away from the winner last year but I just felt the conditions got to us. I’m definitely not taking anything away from the winner but I wouldn’t have minded if there had been 10mm less rain.”
“The race seems to have a bit of depth and last season we were in the position that some of these will be in the race this year, coming out of a new company with some good wins under our belt, but we needed to go a step further.
“I always find that difficult to do, but if you have a Grade 1 form then of course you can and I have a lot of respect for the newcomers coming up and also a lot of respect for Venetia’s horse.
“I would like to start this year with a Grade One and I feel like there is still some unfinished business with the race. We are going there with no excuses.”
Another top-class novice from last season trying to prove himself in open company is Ben Pauling’s Handstands, who looked a little rusty when touched by Resplendent Gray in the Colin Parker Memorial Chase at Carlisle three weeks ago.
Pauling expects to see a sharper version of the six-year-old this weekend and says: “I have more confidence in this horse than you could ever imagine – I just think he has a huge engine.
“I’m a realist and I think this is his best chance of a Grade 1 this season. In our wildest dreams he might be a Gold Cup horse, but we have to be honest and say that by March it will be a lot warmer again and this has to be our best chance of a Grade 1 – we’ll try to take it.”
Gordon Elliott’s Irish raider Stellar Story completes the five-man field.
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