Sean Bowen Saturday rides blog: 'He deserves his place in this Grade One field'

1.50 – Butch

Butch had a few training issues last season, so he didn’t feature much. It is great to have him back on track. We are hoping for a nice run around, finishing his race off, which will then set him up for a good season ahead. 

2.25 – Hartington

Joe Tizzard’s horses are in excellent form at the moment, so this is a great ride to pick up. He has no weight on his back, and this step up in trip should suit. He was a winner at Carlisle on his last start, and he hasn’t gone up the ratings much for that. It is a competitive-looking race, but I’d like to think Hartington will be in the mix.

3.00 - Haiti Couleurs

I am very excited to get back on board Haiti Couleurs. He deserves his place in this Grade One field as he has been excellent over the last 12 months. We are taking on Grey Dawning, which will be a tough task, as he ran well in this race last year, finishing second behind Royale Pagaille.

Haiti Couleurs’ prep run for this went much better than we expected, as he was able to win off top weight in a handicap hurdle at Newbury. This will be his toughest test yet, but we are excited to see what he can do against some of the best 3m chasers in the country. If he puts in a big performance here, I am sure the Cheltenham Gold Cup will be on the minds of his connections.

3.35 - Wa Wa 

I thought Wa Wa’s run at Wetherby last time was a good one. It was his first appearance over fences in a long time. He remains off the same mark as that run, and he has plenty of experience as a chaser. Olly Murphy is happy with him, so we are expecting a good performance.

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