By Tom Frary
Beaten in the G2 Doncaster Cup last season, Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) showed his story is far from finished back in that Town Moor feature on Friday as he registered an unorthodox success returning from a break. Only fourth in the G3 Sagaro S. when last seen in May, the Singula Partnership's 7-year-old had undergone wind surgery in the interim and there were obvious questions as to whether he could get back to his previous pinnacle in the staying division.
Things looked dubious for the 100-30 shot in the back straight as Hollie Doyle struggled to contain the imposing veteran behind the pace and as she let him go with five furlongs still to race it was touch and go whether he would last home. Separated from the other four in the straight, the pride of the Alan King stable could have given up as the Gosdens' Sweet William (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) gained a brief lead approaching the final furlong but instead piled it on to regain the advantage and record another impressive success by 1 1/4 lengths.
Incredible from TRUESHAN!
An INSPIRED @HollieDoyle1 ride takes the Doncaster Cup for Alan King at @DoncasterRaces! pic.twitter.com/3oQshr9Sv8
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 15, 2023
“That was definitely not Plan A! It's not the first time he's given me a rodeo either, but he can still win because he's so superior,” Doyle said. “He's back to his best. To do it that way round he must be. The thing today was we were going a pedestrian pace and it was breaking his stride, so when you are on a big horse like that I just let him bowl along and it was going to be make or break. The wind op has definitely helped. At Ascot earlier this year, we hacked around and he curled up a furlong and a half out whereas today he proved he's back to his best.”
It is rare to see a horse do so much wrong and still prevail at this level, but what we already knew about Trueshan is he is a true class act on his day in these “Cup” races. That was clear in the 2021 G1 Goodwood Cup, that year's G1 Prix du Cadran, in the last three editions of Ascot's G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup and in last year's Northumberland Plate in which he put up one of the all-time great weight-defying handicap performances. With Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) back in the mix after the weekend, this win adds spice to the division's autumn features.
Pedigree Notes
Trueshan has only two black-type performers under the first three dams, but one of them happens to be the current smart Australian stayer True Marvel (Fr) (Masked Marvel {GB}). In April, he was runner-up in the G1 Sydney Cup at 150-1, while two months later he proved that was no fluke when third in the G2 Brisbane Cup.
Friday, Doncaster, Britain
BETFRED DONCASTER CUP-G2, £130,000, Doncaster, 9-15, 3yo/up, 17f 197yT, 4:05.61, sf.
1–TRUESHAN (FR), 133, g, 7, by Planteur (Ire)
1st Dam: Shao Line (Fr), by General Holme
2nd Dam: Marie D'Altoria, by Roi de Rome
3rd Dam: Marie De Lempire (Fr), by Faristan (GB)
(€8,000 Ylg '17 OSLATE; 31,000gns 2yo '18 TATHIT). O-Singula Partnership; B-D Blot (FR); T-Alan King; J-Hollie Doyle. £73,723. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng & Fr, 24-14-4-1, $2,108,785. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sweet William (Ire), 133, g, 4, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Gale Force (GB), by Shirocco (Ger).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Normandie Stud Ltd (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden. £27,950.
3–Broome (Ire), 133, h, 7, Australia (GB)–Sweepstake (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (€120,000 RNA Ylg '17 GOFOR; 150,000gns Ylg '17 TATDEY). O-M Matsushima/Mrs Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £13,988.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3, HF. Odds: 3.30, 3.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: The Grand Visir (GB), Coltrane (Ire).
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