Haiti Couleurs the latest of a string of Rebecca Curtis chasers to have been sourced from Irish pointing field

Rebecca Curtis was back centre stage at Fairyhouse on Monday when her Haiti Couleurs made most of the running to claim the BoyleSports Irish Grand National.

The victory, which was described by the Welsh trainer as one of her best wins, is the latest big race she has claimed with a horse sourced from the Irish point-to-point fields, following the likes of O’Faolains Boy, Lisnagar Oscar, and Teaforthree. In fact, eight of the 13 races at Grade 3 level or higher that feature on Curtis’s CV have been won with horses originating in the pointing fields, and that support has not waned.

Despite her operation having contracted in size, her policy of sourcing horses from this sphere has remained steadfast. This season alone, of the 24 individual horses she has saddled over jumps in Britain, 14 of them had started out point-to-pointing, as Haiti Couleurs had, running in a brace of four-year-old maidens, including when beaten a length by 143-rated chaser Path D’Oroux at Borris House.

His victory on Easter Monday was all the more notable, particularly for followers of this sphere, as it completed a grand slam of the 'big four' Nationals for ex-point-to-pointers this season, following Val Dancer's success at Chepstow in December, and the more recent wins of Nick Rockett at Aintree and Captain Cody at Ayr. 

While point-to-pointing has changed in many ways, the volunteer ethos remains at its core. There was a reminder of the pride that those people who are behind the scene in the sport get from such big-race triumphs like this when the Waterford Foxhounds committee made a presentation to Pat Doyle and the O’Byrne family at their fixture last Sunday. They were recognised following the Aintree triumph of Nick Rockett, a horse who had started his career by winning a four-year-old maiden at Curraghmore, while under the care of Doyle.

That is also the case with the Wexford Foxhounds, whose picture of Envoi Allen winning his four-year-old maiden at their fixture in 2018 adorns the front cover of the racecard for their annual fixture each February, and there are countless other examples.

Thankfully, there are plenty of marquee triumphs to be proud of at present.

Fixtures 

Saturday
Ballysteen First race 1pm

Sunday
Dromahane First race 1pm
Fairyhouse First race 1pm
Tullaherin First race 1pm

Read more here:

'What more can you ever ask for in a horse?' - immortality awaits as legendary Irish pointer closes in on record 

Sam Curling battling successfully on all fronts as he enjoys remarkable campaign 

Crystal Ocean and Poet's Word doing battle again - this time as sires in the pointing field 

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