Betfred Doncaster Cup |
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| Group 2, Doncaster 15:00 £110,000 added, 3yo plus, 2m 2f, Class 1  |
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1 Trueshan 100/30
2 Sweet William 3/1
3
Broome 6/1
5 ran Distances: 1¼l, 3l, ½l
Time: 4m 5.61s (slow by 12.21s)
@HollieDoyle1 somehow manages to get a keen Trueshan to the line in front in the @Betfred Doncaster Cup for Alan King @DoncasterRaces pic.twitter.com/0XAputHrRv https://t.co/M1NgIIbkp1 via @RacingBetter
— RacingBetter (@RacingBetter) September 15, 2023
Retirement appeared to be looming when the seven-year-old Trueshan disappointed earlier in the season, but given a wind operation and a 135-day summer break, Alan King’s charge roared back to form on Town Moor.
Victory looked unlikely in the early stages of the Group Two contest as Trueshan refused to settle for Hollie Doyle, travelling keenly when held-up behind the steady early pace set by Ryan Moore aboard Broome.
Doyle allowed her mount to stride on approaching the turn for home and it proved to be a race-winning move from the rider as the long-distance veteran powered his way to the head of affairs.
With the rest of the field remaining glued to the inside rail, Trueshan set sail solo up the centre of the track, before edging his way across to battle John and Thady Gosden’s Sweet William who had emerged from the pack to lay down a stern challenge.
Trueshan, however, would not be denied and he stormed to the line to win by a length and a quarter.
Paddy Power and Betfair now make the 100-30 scorer a 5-1 shot to win the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup for a fourth straight year at Ascot on October 21.
Doyle said: “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. He’s back to his best. To do it that way round he must be.
“He actually can settle beautifully if he can use himself but I just needed him on a stride. 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.
“He’s the kind of horse that when you let him have that bit of rein and use himself, he then doesn’t go anywhere!
“I had walked the track and spoken to the clerk of the course who told me that the better ground was up the middle. Obviously that was a risk because we raced on it yesterday but it worked out OK.
“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.
“I dread to think what Alan was saying on the way round, he was probably cursing, but thankfully it all worked out.
“I love him to bits. I rode him on his second ever run so I’ve been on him a while now, thankfully I haven’t been jocked off yet!”
Doncaster Cup
(British Champions Series) (Group 2)
£110,000 added, 3yo plus, 2m 2f, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Soft
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (3) Trueshan 7 9-7 Alan King Hollie Doyle 100/30
2 (2) 1¼ Sweet William 4 9-7 John & Thady Gosden Robert Havlin 3/1
3 (1) 3 Broome 7 9-7 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 6/1
4 (4) ½ The Grand Visir 9 9-7 Ian Williams Richard Kingscote 66/1
5 (5) 1¾ Coltrane 6 9-10 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 5/4F
RECENT WINNERS
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP
2022 Coltrane
2021 Stradivarius
2020 Spanish Mission
2019 Thomas Hobson
2018 Thomas Hobson
2017 Desert Skyline
2016 Sheikhzayedroad D M Simcock Martin Harley Mohammed Jaber 10/3
2015 Pallastaor
2014 Estimate Sir Michael Stoute Ryan Moore The Queen 11/8 fav
2013 Times Up Ed Dunlop Ryan Moore Mrs I Stewart & M Meacock 3/1
2012 Times Up John Dunlop Eddie Ahern Mrs I Stewart & M Meacock 5/1
2011 Saddler’s Rock John Oxx IRE Niall McCullagh Michael O’Flynn 11/2
2010 Samuel John Gosden William Buick Normandie Stud Ltd 5/1
2009 Askar Tau Marcus Tregoning Ryan Moore Nurlan Bizakov 5/2
2008 Honolulu Aidan O’Brien IRE Johnny Murtagh Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor 15/8 fav
2007 Septimus Aidan O'Brien IRE Johnny Murtagh Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor 11/10 fav
2006 Sergeant Cecil Rod Millman Frankie Dettori Terry Cooper Evens fav
2005 Millenary John Dunlop Richard Quinn Neil Jones 11/4
2004 DH Kasthari Howard Johnson Johnny Murtagh Elliott Bros 14/1
DH Millenary John Dunlop Richard Quinn Neil Jones 7/1
2003 Persian Punch David Elsworth Martin Dwyer Jeff Smith 3/1
2002 Boreas Luca Cumani Jamie Spencer Aston House Stud 7/2
2001 Alleluia Sir Mark Prescott Jamie Mackay Sonia Rogers 14/1
2000 Enzeli John Oxx IRE Johnny Murtagh H H Aga Khan 15/2
1999 Far Cry Martin Pipe Kevin Darley Nicky Chambers 6/1
