Looking Back 91) Auclair

                  Royal Auclair

Many of you may not realise that Royal Auclair was a Cheltenham Festival and multiple winner for Pond House before he moved to Ditcheat later in his career and continued to be a high class horse.  Royal Auclair was a 1997 born chestnut gelding by Garde Royale and his dam was called Carmonera.  He began his career in France with trainer Guy Cherel and he won his final two starts over there at Enghein Soisy in three year old hurdles at the end of 2000.

He was then bought to run in the famous colours of Clive Smith and he made a winning Pond House debut at Sandown in February 2001.  He was the very comfortable 26 length winner with Rodi Greene in the saddle.  He had just one more run that season where he disappointed at Aintree but then went on his summer holidays before returning to embark on a novice chase campaign. 

He made his chasing debut in a good contest at Chepstow in November and was going well when unfortunately falling five from home.  He followed up with a win next time out at Exeter where he beat St Pirran with A P McCoy on board.  He won his next start at Cheltenham in January 2002 making all before lining up back on the track for the Cathcart Chase at the Festival in March.  Off a mark of 147 he was given a positive front running ride and stayed on well to beat Cregg House by just over a length.  It was a terrific run having been sent off the 2/1 favourite and brought up a hat-trick of wins over fences.

After a summer break he returned with just three runs the following season and although he was perhaps a little below par, he finished fourth at Wincanton on his return, fourth in the Aon chase at Newbury and he finished midfield in the William Hill Handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2003.  This was his final run for Pond House as he was moved to pastures new later that summer.

He continued to have a career at the highest level which included a second place in the 2005 Grand National among other great achievements. 

Royal Auclair was the winner of ten races from 59 career starts and he was placed 23 times as well.  Rated 161 at best he won over £526,000 in prize money in a wonderful long career that began in England at Pond House.