History beckons for Haiti on several fronts

Haiti Couleurs has the chance to create his own little piece of history if he can end the 121-year-wait for a Welsh-trained winner of the Randox Grand National.

The last Aintree hero trained in Wales was Kirkland in 1905 and Rebecca Curtis has dreams of correcting that record – with the nine-year-old having the opportunity to become the first horse to supplement victories in the Irish and Welsh Grand National victories in the Merseyside version.

“He seems really well in himself. I’ve just freshened him up and not overdone him since the Gold Cup, but he seems as good as we’ve ever had him,” said Curtis.

“This will be a bit harder off his mark than the previous Nationals he has run in, but I think the race will really suit him and he obviously stays well and jumps well and we just need a bit of luck now I guess.”

Haiti Couleurs will have to bounce back from a below-par showing at the Cheltenham Festival to triumph in Liverpool, but that has proven no barrier to success in the past.

“He’s run his best races in these marathon-type races and the Gold Cup then became an option because he went up so high in the ratings that he deserved his go at it,” said Curtis.

“The ground was so quick that day that it was all happening a bit fast. Sean (Bowen) still believes he just wasn’t at his best and to put a line through it, so it’s on to the next one now and hopefully the National will be more suitable for him.”

One horse who was successful at Cheltenham is Jonjo and A J O’Neill’s Johnnywho, who could provide a moment of National redemption for his big-race pilot Richie McLernon, 14 years after being agonisingly denied aboard Sunnyhillboy in that almighty 2012 tussle with Neptune Collonges.

“I’m very much looking forward to him, he’s been round the course before and was very good at Cheltenham, so I’m very happy to be going there with him,” said McLernon.

“It’s great for Jonjo and A J to have a horse as good as this to go to for the National with and it’s lovely to be a part of the team.

“It would be lovely to win the National after coming so close before. It’s a race which has changed a lot, but Cheltenham showed Johnnywho still has it, and he’s been round these fences in November, so you have to look forward to it.”

Johnnywho is one of a stellar team assembled by three-time National-winning owner JP McManus, who will also see the exciting novice Oscars Brother don his colours for Connor King – who trains just two horses – and his brother Daniel who will be in the saddle.

“He’s a grand horse and he may lack a little experience, but he ran a cracker at Cheltenham in the Brown Advisory and is definitely going in the right direction,” said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.

“It will be nice to see two young brothers have a chance in the National and it would be a story the race is all about.”

It was McManus’ Minella Times that provided Henry de Bromhead with National glory in 2021 and the County Waterford trainer is well represented in his search for a second win, through Monty’s Star, Gorgeous Tom and Amirite.

De Bromhead said: “Monty’s Star has been running in plenty of Grade Ones, but he hasn’t managed to win one. He’s a very good horse, he was fourth in the Gold Cup last year and we said we’d give this a go this year.

“It was a very tough decision for Darragh (O’Keefe, jockey) to choose between him and Gorgeous Tom but I think it would be harder for him if he rode Tom and Monty’s won, given all the Grade Ones he’s run in.

“Gorgeous Tom is in great form too, he ran really well at Leopardstown the other day and this has been the plan since he ran at Newbury earlier in the season, so we’ll see how we go. It was a tight call for Darragh, but it’s great to have Sean (Flanagan) on him.”

Gordon Elliott will also field three in his quest to join Ginger McCain and Fred Rimell as a four-time National winner, with stable jockey Jack Kennedy electing to side with the resurgent Aintree-loving Gerri Colombe.

“He has improved with every run this season and it’s interesting that Jack thought he was a much happier horse on that nicer ground at Down Royal,” said Robbie Power, racing manager for owners Robcour.

“He’s won two Grade Ones at Aintree so clearly likes the place and Jack has schooled him over the replica National fences and he schooled very well.

“He’s a class horse and the way the race is, where weight doesn’t seem to matter anymore and class horses come to the fore, you can definitely make a case for him.”

Gerri Colombe will be joined by stablemates wearing the Gigginstown silks of Tiger Roll in Stellar Story and Cheltenham cross-country second Favori De Champdou who follows the path taken to Aintree success by Elliott’s incomparable National hero.

Gigginstown’s Eddie O’Leary said: “The softer the ground the better for Stellar Story. If it was soft ground, he’d have a much better chance

“Favori De Champdou is following that tried-and-tested cross-country route. He got a bit wired before the race at Cheltenham and probably lost the race there, so hopefully he’s a bit calmer going to the start on Saturday.”

The Irish challenge is bolstered by Joseph O’Brien’s pair of 2024 King George winner Banbridge and Jordans.

“He has plenty of class and although the distance is a bit of a question mark, we know he likes the track and we know that conditions are going to be suitable,” said O’Brien of Banbridge.

“We think he’s the type that it is worth a shot with and he’s had a great preparation. We’ll not know about his stamina until he gets across the Melling Road, but we hope he can get into a nice rhythm, get that far and then we will find out.”

He went on: “Jordans has a nice profile for the race. He’s a young horse who is unexposed and has Aintree form. If he can find a nice rhythm through the first half of the race, you never know what might happen in the second half.”