4th qualifier at the Grand Prix d’Amérique, the Criterium Continental is a race apart: it is the only Gr.I among the qualifiers and it is reserved for young 4-year-old horses. His 2018 edition smiles at the French Eridan.
He is a mainstay of his promotion since the start of the selection of the best trotters born in 2014. Eridan wins his first Group I in this Critérium Continental after being five times winner of Gr.II and winner just minutes of the Criterium des 3 Ans last year before being disqualified. Recent good 2nd Earl Simon after a nice end of the race, the partner of David Thomain has a weapon in his game fatal: a devastating spike in speed. And when he can place it, as here at the end of a very rhythmic course (partial 1500 meters: 1’05 ”), this son of star stallion Ready Cash is one of the fastest trotters of the circuit as l his coach Sebastien Guarato recalled at the microphone of Equidia. It was necessary to overcome the very fast Italian Vitruvio finally 2nd in front of Earl Simon who had to start from the corridor number 9. The record of the race was equal here: 1’10”3!
Three years after the success of Bold Eagle, before he won the first of his two Grand Prix d’Amérique, Sébastien Guarato signed a second victory in the Criterium Continental. Eridan has his ticket to America but his coach is not sure to introduce him, thinking him especially for a race like the Elitlloppet. On the owners side, the Dewulf family, constant investors in the trotters for several years (they bought Eridan for sales), the temptation to run the most beautiful is great. We will see what will decide the team soon.
Update on qualifying horses for the Grand Prix of America: Davidson du Pont, Délia du Pommereux, Bird Parker, Bélina Josselyn and Eridan
