Eric as a six-stone apprentice on Troilus
Eric James Alston was born in Longton, Lancashire on November 26, 1943. He served a four-year apprenticeship with Walter Wharton.
In March 1961 the then 17-year-old was leading jockey for half an hour when Troilus won the opening race of the Flat season, the Apprentices’ Handicap Plate for the second successive year. That was the second winner of Eric’s career.
As in the previous season, Troilus made virtually all the running. Owner Mr Jabez Barker bought him as an unbroken three-year-old. He did not fulfil expectations and had once broken down so badly that it was feared he would never race again. As a course of treatment, Troilus was tethered in a local river for hours each day and a special stall was built close by.
Eric went on to ride 11 winners. However, he is far better known as a trainer, having first taken out a licence in 1981.
Based at Edges Farm Stables, Longton, near Preston, he achieved dual Group 1 success in 2006 when Reverence won the Nunthorpe Stakes and Haydock’s Sprint Cup, as well as that year’s Group 2 Temple Stakes. He also trained Tedburrow to win 21 races including back to back victories in the Group 3 Flying Five at Leopardstown in 1998/99, Newcastle’s Chipchase Stakes in 2000 and 2002, and three successive runnings of Chester’s City Wall Stakes in 1997/98/99.
