They say lightning doesn’t strike twice—but try telling that to Rebecca Curtis. Just five weeks after pulling off a tactically superb win with Haiti Couleurs in the grueling 3m6f National Hunt Challenge Cup at Cheltenham, Curtis returned to the big stage and won the Irish Grand National. Same horse. Same resilience. Different stage. Even more impressive.

If Cheltenham was the proving ground, Fairyhouse was the coronation.

Sent off at 13/2, Haiti Couleurs led from four out and galloped relentlessly to hold off top stayers like Any Second Now and Quai De Bourbon. It was a performance built on class, stamina, and metronomic jumping—and it completed one of the most compelling spring staying doubles in recent years.


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The Brizzle Boys, the Bowen Drive, and a Master Plan

Let’s give credit where it’s due: this wasn’t a happy accident. The Brizzle Boys-owned gelding had been slowly teed up through the winter and peaked to perfection for Cheltenham. Then, rather than wrapping up for the season, Curtis saw something else: a soft-ground Irish Grand National that looked ripe for a follow-up.

Enter Sean Bowen, who gave Haiti Couleurs a beautiful stalking ride, using his Festival experience to judge pace, kick clear, and conserve enough for the lung-busting final half-furlong. Job done. History made.


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Curtis: The Quiet Strategist

Curtis doesn’t flood the entries or chase headlines—but when she picks a target, she’s clinical. Just look at her recent form:

Cheltenham Festival winner? Check.

Irish Grand National winner? Check.

April strike rate at 18%—and rising.

Marathon trip mastery? Her horses win 24% at 2m7½f+, including 29% over 4m.

Track profile? Now 2 wins from 5 runners at Fairyhouse.


She’s built her rep not on volume, but on precision. Staying chasers, soft ground, spring campaigns—it’s where she thrives. And crucially, she often beats the market. Haiti Couleurs was 7/2 JF at Cheltenham, and a swerve away from the Mullins–Elliott axis at Fairyhouse.


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What Next for Haiti Couleurs?

With that stamina-laden double under his belt, the sky’s the limit. Could the Welsh Grand National be next? Or maybe a tilt at the 2025 Coral Gold Cup (Hennessy) or even dare we say it—a prep for Aintree 2026?

Whatever comes next, Haiti Couleurs has proven he’s a proper staying chaser for the long haul. And with Curtis holding the reins, he’s in the right hands to make a real mark on the top handicaps in the UK and Ireland.


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Final Word: A Trainer to Trust When the Stakes Are High

There are plenty of trainers with battalions of runners. But very few deliver like Curtis does when it counts.

Two huge wins. One trainer. One horse. And a whole lot of belief behind the scenes. The story of Haiti Couleurs is just getting started—and Curtis might be entering the most exciting phase of her career yet.