Tag: Didier Blot

Trueshan Prevails In Long Distance Cup Thriller

Alan King trainee Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}–Shao Line {Fr}, by General Holme) had annexed the last two renewals of Ascot's G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup, but had failed to find a way past Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in last month's G2 Doncaster Cup. Having earlier run third in a thrilling edition of August's G1 Goodwood Cup, he was back at the top of his game to exact revenge on that rival and registered a hat-trick of victories in the two-mile marathon after a ding-dong tussle. Hollie Doyle was keen for a prominent pitch early and positioned the 11-8 favourite in fourth after passing the judge first time. Coming under pressure turning for home, Trueshan locked horns with Coltrane on the front end passing the quarter-mile marker and refused to buckle under a drive in the closing stages, hitting the line with a head advantage. Godolphin's Trawlerman (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) fared best of the remainder and finished three lengths adrift in third.

“The ground was right today and Trueshan had to be at his best,” the winning trainer said. “Hollie thought, with a furlong to go, she'd go and win and win well, but Coltrane was not stopping and he came back at us. He had to be right up there today to hold them off. I didn't enjoy watching it, but I'll enjoy the replay. He was in a lovely place and travelling well and, turning in, I thought we had a good chance. I'm very good friends with the Mariscottis, who own Coltrane and I thought they're going to come and do us again. I think, last time at Doncaster, he was remembering Goodwood and wouldn't let himself down. He came to challenge and he went right, he went left and he just wouldn't go forward. He had a week down at Jamie McGee's on the water treadmill, which he absolutely loves, and then we started training him for this. He's had two or three days on the treadmill after his bits of work, which just loosens him up and it's got him back. I took the view that, win, lose or draw today, I had all winter to get him back. As long as we mind him, he could be around for a few years yet. I just want a very wet June, because the one thing I'd love to run him in is the [G1] Gold Cup [at Royal Ascot].”

Doyle added, “What a horse. I am speechless to be honest. Alan King is the maker of this horse and what he has done today, on the back of his last two runs, is phenomenal. It was really rough going into that first bend. I had Wordsworth on my outside, I was caught in a pocket and it was one of them where you either kick in or get flattened. I kicked in and some people suffered as a consequence. For someone like me, I'm quite emotionally invested in the sport and days like this mean the world to me.”

Reflecting on the performance of Coltrane, trainer Andrew Balding said, “Coltrane is just so brave and tough and was beaten by a fine horse on the day.” John Gosden added, “Trawlerman has run a great race and had a lovely run. For an Ebor winner to come and mix it with the Group horses is great.”

Trueshan is the leading performer and lone stakes winner for dual scorer Shao Line (Fr) (General Holme), who has five winners to her credit and is a granddaughter of Marie de Lempire (Fr) (Faristan {GB}), herself the dam of the stakes-winning Dom Lurcy (Dom Racine {Fr}). Marie de Lempire is kin to the stakes-winning Marie d'Ivors (Fr) (Rheffic {Fr}) and the mare Herila (Fr) (Bold Lad), who in turn is the second dam of G1 Derby Italiano hero Houmayoun Fr) (Shernazar {Ire}) and three-time stakes victrix Hanzala (Akarad {Fr}), with this being the tail line of G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Altissima (Klairon {Fr}).

Saturday, Ascot, Britain
QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS LONG DISTANCE CUP-G2, £500,000, Ascot, 10-15, 3yo/up, 15f 209yT, 3:30.22, g/s.
1–TRUESHAN (FR), 135, g, 6, 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-Didier Blot (FR); T-Alan King; J-Hollie Doyle. £283,550. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng & Fr, 21-13-3-1, $1,997,256. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Coltrane (Ire), 135, g, 5, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Promise Me (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). (50,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Mick & Janice Mariscotti; B-Rockfield Farm (IRE); T-Andrew Balding. £107,500.
3–Trawlerman (Ire), 135, g, 4, Golden Horn (GB)–Tidespring (Ire), by Monsun (Ger). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden. £53,800.
Margins: HD, 3, 4 1/4. Odds: 1.38, 10.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Stratum (GB), Quickthorn (GB), Wordsworth (Ire), Eldar Eldarov (GB), Waterville (Ire).

 

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Trueshan Wins The Goodwood Cup As Stradivarius Taken Out

A G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup without Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) meant that for the first time in five years it was heading elsewhere and Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) stepped forward to claim the title in the heavy conditions he relishes on Tuesday. As he proved when winning Ascot's G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup in October, the ground cannot be slow enough for the Alan King-trained 5-year-old and with the reigning champion taken out he traded as the 6-5 favourite. Always prominent under Hollie Doyle, the bay who was last seen finishing sixth as top weight in the Northumberland Plate H. over this two-mile trip on the Tapeta June 26 took over in early straight and powered clear late to score by 3 3/4 lengths from the 33-1 outsider Away He Goes (Ire) (Farhh {GB}). Sir Ron Priestley (GB) (Australia {GB}) was 1 1/2 lengths away in third before collapsing after the line and heading to the equine hospital for a scan. “I never really feel pressure, but today something did come over me as I didn't want to let everyone down,” the winning rider said. “I was very confident going into the race. I haven't had many experiences of Goodwood, let alone on a short-priced favourite. I was feeling it a bit more than normal, but Trueshan is an exceptionally talented animal on this ground.”

This renewal was diminished by the withdrawal of Stradivarius and of Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}), but it is hard to argue that Trueshan would not have brushed aside those rivals as readily as he did the few that dared to stand against him on this ground. His 7 1/2-length defeat of Search For a Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Long Distance Cup meant that he had nothing to prove this term, but on his return he confirmed he was top-class by running second to Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) under a five-pound penalty in the G3 Ormonde S. over an extended 13 furlongs at Chester May 6. Even his latest effort when on the premises under a welter burden in the Northumberland Plate marked him as a stayer of note and so this was mere confirmation that he represents a benchmark when the going rides as it did on Tuesday.

If anything tending to over-race early behind Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Nayef Road (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the bay was sent up to shadow the latter as the Ballydoyle pace-setter gave way climbing the last part of the hill approaching six out. Getting to the stand's rail first as most of his rivals were visibly struggling in behind, Trueshan could have caved in as the smooth-travelling surprise package Away He Goes arrived on his outer but instead drew away to score with resounding authority. “He was pretty fresh early on, as they were going no gallop and so halfway round I managed to slide onto the girth of the others and he then settled,” Hollie Doyle added. “The further we went, the better he went. When I hit the rising ground, he's gone again.”

For Alan King, the win represented a breakthrough on the flat and he said, “It is a very special moment. I have been very calm all morning, then when John took out Stradivarius and we were shortening all the time, the nerves really started to kick in. I have not been this nervous for a long time. I have always enjoyed my Flat races and this is very special. This is up there with the Champion Hurdles. Trueshan can be a little keen, so I'm glad he had a proper race at Newcastle–he could have been ferocious today if he hadn't had that run.””We had to take him out of the Gold Cup, which is very hard to do, but he's very ground-dependant,” King continued. “He is in the [G2] Lonsdale [Cup at York Aug. 20] and he is in the [G1] Irish St Leger [at The Curragh Sept. 12]. I will talk to the boys, but we will probably take him out in the morning at the forfeit stage. The [G1 Prix du] Cadran [at ParisLongchamp Oct. 2] will probably be his big target in the autumn.”

Away He Goes' trainer Ismail Mohammed, who had won Saturday's G3 Princess Margaret S. with Zain Claudette (Ire) (No Nay Never), commented, “He ran super. He ran only 17 days ago and it was doubtful with the soft ground, because he has had problems with soft ground before. Group 1s are not easy and it is amazing for our group and our small stable. So far we have Groups 3s and we are moving steps forward.”

Stradivarius will instead wait for the Lonsdale Cup, with John Gosden saying, “Obviously we were very keen to do something that's never been done before, which is win five Goodwood Cups in a row. He's in great form, he's full of himself, ready to run. But I'm afraid you got 60mm of rain since mid-day Sunday and another bucketload last night. I walked the track out in the country with Thady and the stick is going straight into the bottom and it turns it into a bit of a two-mile slog. This is a horse who can travel with a great acceleration, turn of foot and put pretty amazing fractions to the last two or three furlongs, but he's not going to do it on that ground. I think at his age you've got to play to his strengths and also we made foolish decisions last year, one to run him at Longchamp on bottomless ground by the River Seine, which he loathed, and then even more stupid we ran on Champions Day on heavy ground at Ascot. Having made the mistake twice, we weren't quite prepared to do the same again.”

Tuesday, Goodwood, Britain
AL SHAQAB GOODWOOD CUP S.-G1, £518,750, Goodwood, 7-27, 3yo/up, 16fT, 3:37.05, sf.
1–TRUESHAN (FR), 135, g, 5, 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)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€8,000 Ylg '17 OSLATE; 31,000gns 2yo '18 TATHIT). O-Singula Partnership; B-Didier Blot (FR); T-Alan King; J-Hollie Doyle. £294,183. Lifetime Record: 14-8-2-0, $854,216. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Away He Goes (Ire), 135, g, 5, Farhh (GB)–Island Babe, by Kingmambo. (75,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Ismail Mohammed. £111,531.
3–Sir Ron Priestley (GB), 135, h, 5, Australia (GB)–Reckoning (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (70,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Paul Dean; B-Mascalls Stud (GB); T-Mark Johnston. £55,818.
Margins: 3 3/4, 1HF, 3 3/4. Odds: 1.20, 33.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Santiago (Ire), Nayef Road (Ire), Serpentine (Ire), Emperor of The Sun (Ire), Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire). Scratched: Mekong (GB), Spanish Mission, Stradivarius (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Planteur’s Trueshan Routs Long Distance Cup Rivals

Ascot’s rain-affected British Champions Day opened with the £300,000 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup over the best part of two miles and it was Hollie Doyle, fresh from setting a record number of winners earlier in the week, who celebrated success with a wide-margin tally aboard Barbary Lions 5’s 4-year-old gelding Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}). The Alan King trainee’s previous best came in July’s Listed Tapster S. at Haydock and he earned his place in this line-up coming back off an eighth–behind the reopposing Fujaira Prince (Ire) (Pivotal {GB})–in York’s Aug. 22 Ebor H. and a Sept. 11 Salisbury conditions score over 14 furlongs last time. Trueshan found a comfortable rhythm just off the pace in sixth, but slipped one spot as 11-10 pick Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) improved position at halfway. Making rapid headway on the home turn, the 11-1 chance quickened into second entering the final quarter mile and powered ever clear under minimal urging once seizing control soon after to hit the line an impressive 7 1/2 lengths ahead of dual G1 Irish St Leger heroine Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with old foe Fujaira Prince holding the closing pack for third. Stradivarius was unable to land a blow and finished 12th of 13.

“I travelled all over them and that was incredible,” exclaimed a jubilant Doyle. “He doesn’t like being crowded so I switched him at the three-[furlong] pole and the further I went, the better he went. He was almost overtravelling with me and I had to stay out a bit wide for the first three furlongs, but luckily I managed to slot in there and got a nice position outside Stradivarius. He was tanking with me and he went through the ground like a tractor. The pace was reasonable, but he was travelling and he felt like he was hacking round there. I switched my fellow round horses as they said he didn’t like getting crowded in the Ebor and when I pushed the button, he responded. It is testing and it is wet, heavy ground and hard work. I rode him first time at Wolverhampton, and that was a bit of a surprise, and then he bolted up at Ffos Las. I’ve not been on him since so I’m really grateful for the owners and Alan putting me back on him today. He is a proper horse, he won his first two starts and I’ve always liked him. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t realise he would be up to Group 2 level like today. I’m really happy people are seeing me as just a jockey, and not a female jockey, and shout out to Alan King because he is some trainer.”

Assistant trainer Dan Horsford added, “He’s been progressive all year and has improved for the step up to two miles. Who knows where he ends up from here, but it will be all the Cup races next year and I would think [any] hurdling [plans] will be shelved. It’s unbelievable, it looked like Hollie jumped in two furlongs out and she is still unbeaten on him. She gets on very well with him, but it just didn’t happen for him in the Ebor for whatever reason. It’s been a cracking year and long may it last.”

Reflecting on the performance of Stradivarius, who was not unduly punished once his chance had evaporated, trainer John Gosden said,  “The ground was too deep and too heavy and he hated it. Frankie [Dettori] thought he pulled his shoes off. He was in good form, but the ground was very deep down there and he would have probably been better running on the inner [jumps] track!” Dettori added, “I was never there and there is not much else I can say.”

Trueshan is the leading performer and sole stakes winner for dual scorer Shao Line (Fr) (General Holme), who has five winners to her credit and is a granddaughter of Marie de Lempire (Fr) (Faristan {GB}), herself the dam of the stakes-winning Dom Lurcy (Dom Racine {Fr}). Marie de Lempire is kin to the stakes-winning Marie d’Ivors (Fr) (Rheffic {Fr}) and the mare Herila (Fr) (Bold Lad), who in turn is the second dam of G1 Derby Italiano hero Houmayoun Fr) (Shernazar {Ire}) and three-time stakes victress Hanzala (Akarad {Fr}), with this being the tail line of G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches heroine Altissima (Klairon {Fr}). Shao Line’s last known foal is the unplaced 3-year-old gelding Je N’y Crois Pas (Fr) (Sommerabend {GB}).

Saturday, Ascot, Britain
QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS LONG DISTANCE CUP-G2, £300,000, Ascot, 10-17, 3yo/up, 15f 209yT, 3:35.75, sf.
1–TRUESHAN (FR), 133, g, 4, 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)
1ST GROUP WIN. (€8,000 Ylg ’17 OSLATE; 31,000gns 2yo ’18 TATHIT). O-Barbury Lions 5; B-Didier Blot (FR); T-Alan King; J-Hollie Doyle. £170,130. Lifetime Record: 11-7-1-0, $423,737. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Search For A Song (Ire), 130, f, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Polished Gem (Ire), by Danehill. O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld. £64,500.
3–Fujaira Prince (Ire), 133, g, 6, Pivotal (GB)–Zam Zoom (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire). (90,000gns Ylg ’15 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £32,280.
Margins: 7HF, HF, NK. Odds: 11.00, 7.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Morando (Fr), Sovereign (Ire), Dawn Patrol (Ire), Spanish Mission, Mildenberger (GB), Monica Sheriff (GB), Max Vega (Ire), Dubious Affair (Ire), Stradivarius (Ire), Broome (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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