Paul Towned booked to ride Haiti Couleurs at Down Royal

Paul Townend is set to ride Haiti Couleurs in the BetVictor, Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.

Willie Mullins’ number one linked up with Welsh handler Rebecca Curtis for Cheltenham Festival success with Irish Cavalier back in 2015 and will deputise for the nine-year-old’s regular pilot Sean Bowen, who is required at Wetherby for boss Olly Murphy.

Curtis said: “Paul Townend is going to ride him and he’s not a bad replacement. Sean was very keen to come over and was looking forward to riding him, but he’s got his commitments elsewhere and he’s got Strong Leader up at Wetherby and a few others to look forward to.

“But at least we have a great replacement and it’s nice to have Paul back on board one of mine.”

Haiti Couleurs made a winning start over hurdles at Newbury last year before going on to compete in some of the season’s hottest staying chases, winning the Welsh Grand National in imperious fashion at Christmas and adding the Denman Chase with a similar degree of class.

He failed to land a blow in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National in the spring, but Curtis is hopeful for a resurgence from her leading light, who has already provided his connections with one magical moment on his travels when winning the Irish Grand National in the spring of 2025.

“We’re really looking forward to it, I’m really happy with where he is and he seems in good order,” added Curtis, with Haiti Couleurs as short as 7-2 with some bookmakers for a race that could also feature Ryanair Chase winner Heart Wood and Gordon Elliott’s Romeo Coolio.

“Now is the time to catch him when he’s fresh and he’s had a good break so we’ll see how we get on.

“He went out to grass really light after a hard season, but he has summered really well and has come back in big and strong. I always think he runs well when his coat is jet black and shiny and that is how he is at the moment – he was nearly yellowish at Cheltenham, he just didn’t look right.”