Image © Healy Racing
Wexford handler Harley Dunne had plenty to celebrate over Down Royal’s two-day Festival of Racing, as two horses who began their careers in his point-to-point yard won graded races within 24 hours.
Ash Hobbs landed the Grade 3 Feathard Lady Mares’ Novice Hurdle for Henry de Bromhead on Friday before Haiti Couleurs provided Dunne with his first Grade 1 graduate when winning the Champion Chase, the first top-level contest of the new jumps season, for Rebecca Curtis on Saturday.
Dunne watched Ash Hobbs’ victory on his phone while away schooling horses, but he had to wait a little longer to see Haiti Couleurs claim his first top-level success.
“I was waiting for the race, but I was driving the digger and got distracted,” he said.
“My phone rang and it was Luke Cummins, the fellow who owned him. I hadn’t watched the race, so I had to wait 15 minutes for it to come up online!”
When Dunne did get to see the replay, he was impressed by the performance of the nine-year-old, who made all under Paul Townend to defeat Fleur In The Park by four and three-quarter lengths.
“I thought the ground might not help him, being a bit quicker, but I thought he was very good. It was an unbelievable performance from Paul Townend too.”
Haiti Couleurs finished fourth on his debut at Turtulla before chasing home Path D’Oroux at Borris House in December 2021. He was subsequently sold to Curtis for £68,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham January Sale.
The son of Dragon Dancer has gone on to win the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, the Irish Grand National and the Welsh Grand National, as well as the Grade 2 Denman Chase. Saturday’s success added a first Grade 1 to that impressive record.
“Rebecca knows exactly what she’s doing and she’s done an unbelievable job with him already.
“Hopefully he’ll go on and do more, but there’s not much more he needs to do now.”
While Haiti Couleurs has established himself among the leading staying chasers, Ash Hobbs is still in the early stages of her career. The daughter of Jack Hobbs made an immediate impression for Dunne when winning her four-year-old mares’ maiden at Ballycahane by nine lengths under Bertie Finn in March 2025.
She was subsequently sold for £170,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale and joined De Bromhead’s yard.
After finishing unplaced in two bumpers last season, the Robcour-owned mare made a winning start over hurdles at Fairyhouse in October, scoring by six and a half lengths. She followed up under Darragh O’Keeffe at Down Royal, taking the step up to Grade 3 company in her stride.
Dunne had always held the five-year-old in high regard and was delighted to see her show what she could do.
“I always believed in her and always thought she was very good, so I’m glad she’s going and doing it now.
“She just did everything so easily. She was a very simple mare to do anything with. She travelled, she jumped and she was very easy to train.”
Asked about her two bumper runs, Dunne was reluctant to offer an explanation but was pleased to see her return in such form.
“I thought she’d win a bumper no problem. Was it the ground? God knows—it could have been a number of things. I’m just glad that after the summer break they’ve found the key to her.”
Ash Hobbs was named after Dunne’s fiancée Aisling, who was involved with the mare before her sale, making her progress all the more satisfying for the couple.
“She gets massive satisfaction from it. The mare was named after her and everything.”
A successful rider as well as a handler, Dunne says he gets a different kind of satisfaction from riding and training winners and from seeing horses he has produced go on to succeed for their new connections.
“You get a great kick out of them winning, but you don’t get the same adrenaline. There’s nothing like the adrenaline of riding a winner.
“They’re all different. You get satisfaction in a different way from each of them.”
Dunne has already opened his account for the new point-to-point season, with Brume D’Ete scoring at Peppards Castle, and has around 30 horses in training.
“So far, so good. Everything is healthy and well and they’re all running really well. With a bit of luck, a few more of them could win.
“There are a couple of nice horses there, so hopefully we’ll have a good season.”
