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Trueshan (100/30) bounced right back to his best to come out on top in the Group 2 Doncaster Cup under an inspired Hollie Doyle ride this afternoon.
Alan King's stable star had been off the track since finishing a well-held fourth behind the reopposing Coltrane in the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes at Ascot back in May.
Quick ground conditions forced him to miss the Ascot Gold Cup in June, but back on his favoured soft surface following a wind-op Alan King's seven-year-old bounced right back to his best.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained Broome took the field along at something of a sedate gallop, with Coltrane's rider Oisin Murphy sat right on the leader's tail. Ebor runner-up Sweet William relaxed kindly towards the inside of the five-strong field but the same could not be said for Trueshan, who continued to pull harder than regular rider Hollie Doyle would have liked.
It was at that point that Doyle made the executive decision to allow her mount to stride on and the pair soon found themselves at the head of affairs. There was once again a difference of opinions as Doyle pulled Trueshan to set sail solo towards the centre of the track, while his remaining four rivals all headed towards the far side.
Having pulled so hard in the early stages, it would have to be said that victory still looked unlikely even as Trueshan struck the front with four furlongs to run. However, the fan-favourite seven-year-old continued to gallop on strongly and although the unexposed Sweet William got to his hind quarters, he found plenty inside the final furlong to turn away the John and Thady Gosden inmate by a length and a quarter. Broome finished back in third, with the 5/4 market leader Coltrane, who caused something of a surprise when toppling the 2/9 chance Trueshan in this contest twelve months ago, ultimately disappointing as he failed to beat a rival home.
Paddy Power make the admirable veteran a 5-1 chance (from 14/1) to win the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup for a fourth-straight year at Ascot next month.
Doyle, who was partnering Trueshan to success for the ninth time, 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 first and second-time-out so I've been on him a while now, thankfully I haven't been jocked off yet! Although, I might have been today if I hadn't have won!"