Ericht Profile
Ericht is one of many talented Nicky Henderson horses. Ericht is a five-year-old Bay Gelding that has only three career races in the National Hunt world. Ericht was bred from Alderbrook (Ireland) and Lady Orla (France).
Nicky Henderson horses tend to be strong over long distance jump and flat races. Nicky Henderson horses must always be closely watched because they are bound to have been trained positively and strongly.
Ericht's Career
Ericht's career has only spanned a total of three races and three months. The horse made a debut at over 16 furlongs at Ascot in November last year. This produced a second place finish in a field of 12 even though this second place was only by three quarters of a length.
Ericht's career took a more positive turn at Huntingdon when a win came over 14 furlongs in a field of 15. This win was by seven lengths and Ericht looked as though there was still plenty in the tank, suggesting the horse is destined for longer distance races.
Ericht's career looks as though it will be long and prosperous as the horse's first Grade 1 win came in February at Newbury. This was by four lengths after a strong, late finish.
Positives of Ericht
There are many positives of Ericht. The Bay Gelding has a great attitude that means higher class jockeys will be more willing to ride the horse in important competition. Barry Geraghty is the only jockey to have ridden the horse to date and he seems more than happy with the way Ericht behaves.
Ericht looks to be a very powerful horse and this is a key strength for any horse that likes to finish late. There are more positives of Ericht but this is the most important because it is what enables Ericht to push for wins.
Major Weakness of Ericht
The major weakness of Ericht is that the horse has not shown an ability to recover after a bad start. The second place on debut came after Ericht started the race some 15 lengths behind the leader.
This leaves a massive distance for Ericht to make up and it's worrying for any horse that will tend to rely on a start for chances of success. Higher quality races will see a high number of horses and jockeys all fighting for good starting positions.
Ericht Throughout 2011
It will be worth watching Ericht throughout 2011 because the horse has a very bright future. A positive race at the Cheltenham Festival in 2011 can set the horse up for higher quality races.
A poor performance at the Cheltenham Festival in 2011 would not be the end of the world because there is ample time for the horse to recover. Ericht could still race over longer distances and could also start competing over jumps.
Nicky Henderson is not a naive trainer and he will already have races for Ericht through 2011 that he wants the horse to do well in. Ericht could be on of the strongest Henderson horses in 2011.