The Welsh Grand National again took centre stage on 27 December at Chepstow, with a festive crowd braced for almost four miles of jumping in good to soft conditions.
The ground was kinder than the usual mid‑winter slog, but the 3m6f trip and 23 fences still demanded stamina, rhythm, and a bit of patience from both horses and riders.
The field was deep in staying chasers, from proven graded performers to progressive handicappers trying this searching trip for the first time.
Punters had clustered around the likes of Haiti Couleurs, O’Connell and Rock My Way, but there were enough double‑figure prices to keep each‑way backers quietly hopeful.
In the end, though, it was Haiti Couleurs that won the 2025 Coral Welsh Grand National with a tough, front‑running display that turned a gruelling staying test into something close to a controlled procession – the sort of performance punters dream of when weighing up risks, whether in big‑race handicaps or just an online blackjack game.
The Rebecca Curtis-trained chaser, ridden by Sean Bowen, added the Welsh National to an already impressive staying résumé and confirmed himself one of the season’s standout stayers over fences.
How Haiti Couleurs Won
From an early stage, Haiti Couleurs was allowed to stride on, quickly moving into a prominent position and then taking control before the field had fully settled.
Carrying top weight, he jumped fluently and economically, setting an honest gallop that was stiff enough to test his rivals without ever looking reckless.
Down the back straight he repeatedly met his fences on a good stride, stretching the chasing pack while Sean Bowen sat relatively still, happy to let his partner do the hard work.
A slight mistake three out briefly raised a cheer from those on the chasing horses, but Haiti Couleurs quickly recovered, was ridden into the straight, and soon had his rivals under pressure
The Closing Stages
Turning for home, O’Connell emerged from midfield to give spirited chase, having crept into contention on the long run from the back straight.
Deafening Silence and Livin On Luco tried to follow, but while they stayed on gamely, they never quite looked like reeling in the leader.
Over the last, Haiti Couleurs still held a decisive advantage, and although he drifted slightly under pressure, he kept finding for Sean Bowen, maintaining a clear lead all the way to the line.
O’Connell kept on for second, hanging a little late but doing enough to hold Deafening Silence, with Livin On Luco and Monbeg Genius plugging on into the frame after honest efforts from off the pace.
What The Win Means
This Welsh National success added another major staying prize to the Curtis yard’s growing collection and underlined Haiti Couleurs’ blend of stamina, jumping, and toughness.
Having already shown his appetite for a trip in major spring targets when winning the Irish Grand National in April this year, this performance confirmed that marathon handicaps on testing tracks are very much his specialist subject.
For Sean Bowen, himself a proud Welshman, it was the kind of ride most jump jockeys dream of: a strong, bold jumper in a rhythm, travelling sweetly and still finding at the end of nearly four miles.
On a day when several fancied runners never really landed a blow, his calm handling and willingness to trust the horse’s cruising speed proved crucial.
Full Finishing Order
| Pos | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haiti Couleurs | Ben Jones | Rebecca Curtis |
| 2 | O’Connell | Danny McMenamin | Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith |
| 3 | Deafening Silence | Tristan Durrell | Dan Skelton |
| 4 | Livin On Luco | Callum Pritchard | Philip Hobbs & Johnson White |
| 5 | Monbeg Genius | Jonjo O’Neill Jr | Jonjo & A J O’Neill |
| 6 | Dom Of Mary | Derek Fox | James Owen |
| 7 | Beaufort Scale | Paddy Hanlon | Gordon Elliott |
| 8 | Rock My Way | Brendan Powell | Joe Tizzard |
| 9 | Collectors Item | Kevin Brogan | Jonjo & A J O’Neill |
| 10 | Where It All Began | Conor O’Farrell | Gordon Elliott |
| F | Uncle Bert | Sam Twiston-Davies | Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies |
| PU | Pats Fancy | Jamie Brace | Rebecca Curtis |
| PU | Git Maker | Gavin Sheehan | Jamie Snowden |
| PU | Hung Jury | Tom Bellamy | Martin Keighley |
| PU | Tanganyika | Charlie Deutsch | Venetia Williams |
| PU | Intense Raffles | Bryony Frost | Thomas Gibney |
| PU | Jubilee Express | Kielan Woods | Sam Thomas |
The Road To Aintree
The 2025 Welsh Grand National will be remembered as the day Haiti Couleurs turned a demanding Chepstow marathon into a quietly authoritative statement of staying power.
The performance ticked all the boxes that matter in a modern staying chaser: fluent jumping, relentless galloping, and the ability to keep finding when others had cried enough.
For Curtis and Bowen, it felt less like a one‑off high and more like a step onto an even bigger stage.
Given how strongly he saw out the trip and how comfortable he looked in the rough and tumble of a big handicap, it would be no surprise if Aintree in April now looms large on the spring agenda.
A horse that can travel, jump, and keep galloping over nearly four miles at Chepstow tends to enter every Grand National conversation, whether connections like it or not.
If Haiti Couleurs does line up at Liverpool, this Welsh National will be the day many look back on as the clearest clue that a return to a famous big‑race winner’s enclosure was always on the cards.
