It has been 36 years since a Welsh-trained horse triumphed at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious events in jump racing. In 1981, Sirrell Griffiths, a dairy farmer from Lampeter, shocked racing fans when his horse Norton’s Coin, ridden by amateur jockey Graham McCourt, defied all odds to beat the favorite, Desert Orchid. That victory remains a landmark achievement in the sport, and now Rebecca Curtis is set to deliver a second.
Curtis’s Haiti Couleurs will face stiff competition from three leading contenders: Gaelic Warrior, trained by Willie Mullins; The Jukebox Man, owned by Harry Redknapp and trained by Ben Pauling; and Jango Baie, under the care of Nicky Henderson. While Haiti Couleurs may prefer less rain, the horse has shown remarkable progress and stamina, having won last year’s National Hunt Challenge Cup over an even longer distance.
Curtis had initially planned to run Haiti Couleurs in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival, which would have provided valuable preparation and potentially shortened the odds. However, travel complications prevented this participation, leaving Haiti Couleurs’s prospects intact for this prestigious showdown.
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In other races, Paul Nolan’s Grade Two winner Thedeviluno is an appealing contender for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, a race where Nolan holds a strong record. Ryan Mania could double his Cheltenham career wins aboard Adam Nicol’s Minella Study in the Triumph Hurdle. Undefeated at three hurdles, including a prior win on this course and distance, Minella Study looks well placed to take on the best juveniles, particularly the Irish challengers.
Willie Mullins has strong hopes as Karbau steps into handicaps after a solid seasonal return, especially with former winner Absurde weighted too heavily for the County Hurdle. Mullins also looks favored to secure victory with Dinoblue in the Mares’ Chase. Dinoblue, runner-up two years ago and 2025 winner, stands out in a modestly competitive eight-runner field.
In the amateur Gold Cup—or the Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase—Wonderwall is set to delight the crowd once more, having won this race last year.
The festival’s final race, the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap, often features strong contenders from Gordon Elliott’s stable, with Elliott having won this event four times. Though Mullins dominates the betting market with the top three picks, Nicky Henderson’s East India Express remains a contender. Henderson, who won this race in its inaugural 2009 running but has since been absent from the placings, will be hoping for a good result from East India Express, racing with a favorable mark after finishing seventh last year.
Selections:
1:20 – Minella Study
2:00 – Karbau
2:40 – Dinoblue
3:20 – Thedeviluno
4:00 – Haiti Couleurs
4:40 – Wonderwall
5:20 – East India Express