- Sean Bowen obtained glory in the Grand Irish National with Haiti Couleurs
- Bowen was impatient to win after he did not win in Cheltenham and Aintree
Sean Bowen showed why he will be crowned jockey champion with a brilliant walk to ensure the huge price he wanted.
No British jockey has led to the coherence and determination of Bowen in the past six months, as a count of 172 victories proves, but the main festivals in Cheltenham and Aintree passed without him.
It was Bowen’s ambition to change this anomaly before the end of the campaign on Saturday and how he did here in Fairyhouse, when he spoke of an impeccable round of jump to lead from the start of 13-2 Haiti color – trained in Pembrokeshire by Rebecca Curtis – in the Grand Irish National.
Sean Bowen was delighted after having triumphed in the great Irish National with Haiti Color
After being unable to succeed in Cheltenham and Aintree, Bowen was impatient to win
Coach Rebecca Curtis admitted that she was “speechless” after the victory
“He just jumped incredible,” said Bowen – and he did not commit what Haiti Couleurs had done, while the geld that had jumped around the three and a half miles in a wrapped soil with an exuberance that attracted haèles from a crowd of bumpers.
He added: “I can’t really believe it. I was a little worried at first because he was a little stirred. But once he jumped, he entered a rhythm and he moved so well that, turning for the house, I was wondering if we had to go to make another circuit!
For Curtis, who pocketed a first prize of € 270,000 (£ 232,000), success was no less enormous. In recent years, she has fought for figures in her stable. “It’s huge for my court,” she said. “I’m a bit speechless.
