The winter jumping season is once again approaching, and we will have many familiar old faces returning, as well as several new ones making their debuts. Over the coming days and weeks I will be providing detailed essays on some of our horses that will hopefully be in the winners enclosure very shortly.
ERAGONE. 20 April 2014. Martaline-Sharonne. Owner-Samuel Sutton.
Eragone is a seven year old French bred gelding who has recently arrived at the yard, having been previously trained by P.Peltier in France. He has raced on 23 occasions to date, which includes 11 appearances at Auteuil. His dam is by Robin Des Champs, and she only saw the racecourse once, when pulling up at Auteuil in 2011.As a broodmare she has had four runners, of which Eragone is the eldest.
Eragone made his debut at Compiegne in a three year old hurdle, and duly won first time up by five lengths, earning a Racing Post rating of 120.He returned to Compiegne 22 days later to tackle Grade 3 company, and although beaten 16 lengths in to fifth place, was once again judged to have run to a mark of 120.
Eragone was off the track for the next 11 months, and did not reappear until October 2018 at Auteuil, where he would run his next 10 races, he finished ninth, beaten by 13 lengths in his first handicap, but with the run under his belt, three weeks later, and stepping up to the extended two miles and three furlongs for the first time, he finished third, beaten by two lengths.He raced on two more occasions, both in November, in handicap hurdles, but was well beaten.
After a short break he returned in March 2019 to make his debut over fences, with James Reveley riding him for the first time, and at odds of 21/10 he won by 18 lengths, earning a best yet Racing Post rating of 127.It was back over hurdles in April, with James Reveley retaining the ride, when he won for the third time, this time by 10 lengths.He was raised up in to Listed class in May, but finished well done the field, before returning to fences in June, being beaten by 18 lengths, in to sixth place, on his first, and only try to date over two miles and six furlongs.He was given a break and didn't reappear until November when pulling up, but 13 days later he was a 17 length third, over the extended two miles and three furlongs.After a further break he returned at Angers in May 2020, and raced over fences for only the third time, but fell.His final two runs in France were both back at Auteuil, in a hot looking conditions race over hurdles he finished last of seven, and on October 1st, in first time blinkers, and dropped in to claiming company, he won his third race over hurdles, and forth in all.
Eragone arrived at Oakwood Stables in November 2020, and made his yard debut over fences at Carlisle in December, with Becky Smith in the saddle. He ran in a first time hood, over two miles and five furlongs, he was prominent until the ninth, then weakened, and after a bad blunder two out was pulled up. He was dropped down to two miles at Wetherby two weeks later when contesting the prestigious Castleford Chase from a mark of 133. He was clearly going best coming down to the last, but began to hang to his right on the run in, which probably cost him the race. The winner of that race was First Flow, who was giving him 21lb, who went on to win the Clarence House Chase Grade 1, next time out by seven lengths. Eragone's latest run was back at Wetherby in January 2021, when he fell two from home, when still in with every chance. Many ex French imports take a while to acclimatise, this one appears to have settled in straight away. TO BE CONTINUED.
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