Both Haiti Couleurs and Lulamba stamped themselves as leading British chances at Cheltenham with their wins at Newbury on Saturday.
Haiti Couleurs’ triumph was secured in the Grade 2 Denman Chase against three rivals. Rebecca Curtis’ charge had been in sensational form, winning four of his past five races before the weekend. His victory extended that excellent record, with his a first win in an open Graded race.
The nine-year-old has now marked himself as a potential Gold Cup horse. Though he has already won both the Irish and Welsh Grand Nationals, this victory over L’Homme Presse, an admirable yardstick, ensures he is now trading at single-figure odds to win the blue riband event at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Jockey Sean Bowen was effusive in his praise for one of the most progressive horses in training.
“He was careful at a few early on and warmed up nicely into it, and then actually showed a turn of foot when they came to him,” said Bowen, reports Sporting Life. “I was surprised how well he quickened.
“He’s going to be a horse that three-miles-two around Cheltenham and then up the hill will really suit him. Whether he’s good enough after the back of the last we don’t know, but he’ll definitely be there pitching turning in.”
Lulamba follows tried and tested path in Game Spirit Chase
Later on the card, there was a similarly commanding victory for Lulamba. Running in open company as a novice, the five-year-old was an authoritative winner of the Game Spirit Chase.
Trained by Nicky Henderson, the youngster belied his inexperience win by six-and-a-half lengths. As a result, he shortened even further as favourite for the Arkle Challenge Trophy. The second race of the Cheltenham Festival could see him meet Willie Mullins’ Kopek Des Bordes and Gordon Elliott’s Romeo Coolio.
This success was notable for the hoofprints in which Lulamba was following, however. Henderson has sent out two previous winners of the Game Spirit Chase who were in their novice season: Sprinter Sacre and Altior. Not only did both go on to win the Arkle that season, but both became superstars of the sport. The former won two Champion Chases, while the latter broke the National Hunt record for consecutive victories with 19.
Owned by the Donnellys, whose colours have also been represented by Sir Gino, Shishkin and Al Boum Photo among others, Lulamba was beaten into second in last year’s Triumph Hurdle on his previous Cheltenham Festival start. That remains his only defeat under rules so far in his career.