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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