Erhaab

Erhaab had an active season as a juvenile, running six times and winning twice. He made his first appearance in a maiden race at Newmarket in July, finishing seventh of the seventeen runners. The race would prove to have been a highly competitive one: apart from Erhaab, the field included the future Group One winners King's Theatre, Overbury (Queen Elizabeth II Cup) and Nicolotte (Premio Vittorio di Capua).[10] Two weeks later, Erhaab ran disappointingly, finishing twelfth in a similar race at Newbury. Again, the race produced some very good horses, this time including Piccolo (Nunthorpe Stakes), Hawajiss (Nassau Stakes) and Make A Stand (Champion Hurdle).[11]

In August, at Newcastle Erhaab won his first race, quickening well to take the lead inside the final furlong and running on strongly to win by two and a half lengths.[12] At Leicester he showed further improvement, taking the lead two furlongs out and pulling away to win a minor stakes race by seven lengths.[13]

Erhaab started odds-on favourite for his next start, a three-runner race at Salisbury. He took the lead, but was soon challenged and headed by Tatami. The two colts ran together through the final furlong, and although he "rallied" well, Erhaab was beaten by a short head.[14] On his final start of the year, Erhaab was stepped up to Group Three class for the Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury. He took the lead in the straight but was headed by Tatami again, and finished third, beaten two and a half lengths.[15]

As a two-year-old, Erhaab had been raced exclusively over seven furlongs, and had shown ability, but appeared to be below top class. At three, he was sent over middle distances and showed immediate improvement. On his debut he ran in the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket, in which he was matched against Weigh Anchor, a colt who was regarded as a serious Derby prospect.[16] Erhaab raced prominently, but Carson was unable to find space for a run on the rails and had to pull the colt to the outside in the closing stages. Erhaab quickened well, proving too good for Weigh Anchor, but failed by a neck to catch the leader Cicerao.[17]

Erhaab then produced his best performance in his most important race to date. He was sent to York for the Dante Stakes an important Derby trial,[18] where he was faced by a field that included the 2,000 Guineas winner, Mister Baileys as well as King's Theatre and Weigh Anchor. Carson made his challenge on Erhaab two furlongs out, and the colt quickened well to take the lead and then pulled clear to win in "impressive" style by three and a half lengths.[19] After the race Carson was full of confidence, praising the colts stamina and speed, and saying that he had "all the credentials to be a Derby winner."[20]

Erhaab was now considered a leading contender for the Derby and was offered at odds as short as 9/4 by the bookmakers. The colt was believed to be particularly suited by fast ground, and a period of wet weather in late May saw his odds lengthen. Dry conditions in the week before the race however, led to his odds shortening again and he regained his position as favourite.[21]

At Epsom, Erhaab was made favourite at 7/2 in a field of twenty-five. Jason Weaver sent Mister Baileys to the lead and opened up a gap of several lengths as Erhaab was held up towards the rear. The number of runners led to considerable congestion and bumping, with Willie Ryan being unseated from Foyer in the worst of many incidents- Carson described it as "carnage..there were murders going on".[6] Mister Baileys maintained a six-length lead into the straight but began to struggle two furlongs out, as Carson negotiated his way through a series of gaps on the inside to move into contention with Erhaab. A furlong out King's Theatre moved past Mister Baileys and into the lead. Erhaab was switched to the outside by Carson and produced a strong, sustained run, ("like a dart from a blowpipe")[6] catching King's Theatre inside the last furlong and moving ahead to win by one and a quarter lengths.[22] At 51 years old, Willie Carson was the third oldest jockey to win the Derby.

Erhaab's next race was the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in which he faced older horses for the first time. His Derby win was sufficiently impressive for him to be sent off the odds on favourite, but after having every chance in the straight, he failed to quicken and finished third behind the five-year-old Ezzoud and the four-year-old Bob's Return.[23] Although Dunlop described the result as merely "disappointing" and pointed out that Erhaab, as a very late foal, was still relatively immature, some commentators[24] saw the result as proof that the standard of the three-year-old colts was unusually poor.

On his final start, Erhaab was moved back up to a mile and a half for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot for which he was again made favourite. Erhaab was held up and appeared to be moving into contention in the straight when he has badly hampered by the riderless Ezzoud, who had unseated his jockey at the start. He was unable to recover, and faded in the closing stages to finish seventh of the eleven surviving runners behind King's Theatre.[25]

After two disappointing runs (Dunlop had said that the colt was "very sore"[26] after the Eclipse) Erhaab was given a thorough veterinary examination. Initial x-rays revealed no problems[27] but ultrasound scans revealed that he had sustained serious damage to his suspensory ligaments. The prognosis was that he was unlikely to make a full recovery, even with long rest. The decision to retire Erhaab from racing was announced on 11 August. Carson expressed both his disappointment and his belief that Erhaab would have been a strong contender for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.[28]

In October it was announced that Erhaab had been sold for $5,500,000 to stand at stud in Japan.[29]