Newcastle, March 21 – Blue-blooded Encosta de Lago gelding Eravana might not have raced since September 2010, but you’d never have known that if you saw him coast home to win as he pleased at Newcastle on Wednesday in class record time.
Sent out a heavily backed favourite, the John O’Shea trained Eravana gave punters no cause for concern, travelling smoothly all the way for Nash Rawiller from barrier one and then speeding away in the straight to win the 1200 metre maiden by four and a quarter lengths hard held.
A $600,000 purchase from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud for James Bester Bloodstock, Eravana runs in the colours of Kia-Ora Stud and has a win and two second placings from his only three starts.
He’s certainly bred to be good being a half-brother to dual Group I winning sprinter Virage de Fortune and multiple Group III winner Avenue.
Bred by Gerry Ryan’s Limerick Lane Thoroughbreds, Eravana is the seventh winner from Virage, whose dam is the mighty grey mare Emancipation, whose many feature Group I wins included the AJC Doncaster Handicap and STC Rosemount Wines Classic (now Coolmore Classic).
The current yearling from Virage, an athletic grey colt by Redoute’s Choice, will be offered by Yarraman Park as Lot 3 at the 2012 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.