TRUE COULEURS

HAITI COULEURS roared back from his Betfair Chase no-show to land the Coral Welsh National for local heroes Sean Bowen and Rebecca Curtis.

- DAVID YATES

Dreams that the eight-year-old, a Cheltenham Festival winner as a novice last season, could reach the top over fences seemed dashed when he was pulled up behind Grey Dawning when at Grade 1 level for the first time at Haydock Park last month.

But Curtis' belief in her stable star never wavered and those who kept the faith were rewarded with a 5/1 winner at Chepstow.

Carrying 11st 13lb, a record for modern times, Haiti Couleurs and champion jockey Bowen took up the running after the seventh of the 23 fences.

Two circuits on, the combination still held the lead entering the home straight for the final time and Haiti Couleurs mined reserves from the secondlast obstacle to beat O'Connell by three lengths.