Haiti Couleurs – Irish and Welsh National Winner, But Can He Take Aintree in 2026?

With wins already secured in both the Irish and Welsh Grand Nationals, the question now feels obvious. Can Haiti Couleurs carry that form to Grand National level and win at Aintree in 2026?

A Patient Build Towards the Top Level

Trained by Rebecca Curtis, Haiti Couleurs has not been rushed.

The approach has been steady, building his experience over staying trips before stepping into the bigger races. That groundwork paid off at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, where he landed the National Hunt Chase, showing both stamina and composure in a demanding race.

That success marked him out as a horse to follow, but it was not until later in the season that his profile really began to change.

Fairyhouse: The Performance That Turned Heads

The 2025 Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse Racecourse was the moment where Haiti Couleurs moved into a different bracket.

Sent off at 13/2, he was always travelling strongly under Sean Bowen. He raced prominently, jumped well, and never looked under serious pressure.

After the race, Bowen’s comments stood out. He felt the horse had been operating below full effort for most of the contest, describing him as being in “second gear” throughout.

Chepstow Confirmed What Fairyhouse Suggested

If Fairyhouse hinted at his ability over marathon trips, the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow Racecourse confirmed it.

Later in 2025, Haiti Couleurs produced another front-running performance, setting a strong pace from early on and keeping it up all the way to the line. He jumped accurately, stayed on well, and won by around three lengths at odds of roughly 5/1.

Winning both the Irish and Welsh Nationals in the same year places him in a very small group of horses. Both races are tough tests, run in demanding conditions, and require stamina as well as sound jumping.

Reports after the race described him as one of the standout performers on the card, particularly given the testing ground and the nature of the race.

Proving He Belongs at Graded Level

Haiti Couleurs did not stop there.

At Newbury Racecourse, he took on stronger opposition in the Grade 2 Denman Chase and came out on top. Despite making the odd mistake, he found enough when it mattered, pulling clear of L'Homme Presse to win by seven lengths.

That run showed another side to him.

He is not just a horse for extreme distances. He can compete at a higher level against established graded performers and still find a bit more under pressure.

His run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup did not go to plan, where he struggled to find a rhythm and was eventually pulled up. No clear reason was given afterwards, which leaves that performance as an outlier rather than something easy to explain.

Why Aintree Could Suit

Looking ahead to Aintree, there are several reasons why Haiti Couleurs fits the profile of a modern Grand National contender.

First, stamina is not in doubt. Winning both the Irish and Welsh Nationals shows he can cope with long distances and demanding races.

Second, his jumping has held up in large-field handicaps, which is often a key factor at Aintree.

Third, his running style is suited to the race. He tends to race handily or make the running, putting pressure on others rather than reacting to it. That approach has worked well for a number of recent winners.

There is also the matter of his cruising speed. He travels well enough to hold a position even when the pace increases, which is not always the case with staying types.

The Challenges He Will Face

For all those positives, there are still questions to answer.

Weight is one of them. With major handicap wins and a Grade 2 success on his record, he has been given 11st 10lb. Carrying that over more than four miles at Aintree is a different task.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup run adds a small layer of uncertainty too. While it may not reflect his true ability, it does show that things can go wrong even for horses in good form.

A Horse Worth Taking Seriously

Even with those concerns, the overall picture is hard to ignore.

Haiti Couleurs has already shown he can win major staying races, handle pressure in big fields, and compete at a higher level when needed. He has a trainer who has brought him along carefully, and a jockey who clearly understands how to ride him.

When you line all of that up, he looks like a horse who belongs in the conversation for the 2026 Grand National.

And if he produces the same level of performance he showed at Fairyhouse or Chepstow, plenty of people may find themselves wishing they had taken a closer look a little earlier.