Alan King trained a first Group One winner on the Flat as Trueshan landed the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes. He was sent off the 6/5 favorite after Stradivarius was ruled out because of the testing ground and the only concern he gave supporters was a tendency to race keenly through the early stages.
If the championship were awarded for winners in a calendar year, Doyle would probably be the favourite to win. She is the only rider to have reached three figures in 2021 and Tuesday’s treble took her to 107 for the year, 11 clear of Oisin Murphy. Murphy, though, has recorded 74 of his victories within the tight May-to-mid-October boundaries of the official title; while Doyle is sixth in the table with 47.
That still puts her comfortably clear of several former champions, however, including Ryan Moore, Jim Crowley and Silvestre De Sousa; and a few more days like Tuesday would swiftly see her climb much closer to the summit.
Trueshan a First Group One winner in the Goodwood Cup
Trueshan, a first Group One winner for Alan King to go with his 15 winners over jumps at the Cheltenham Festival, had been backed relentlessly since heavy rain arrived at Goodwood on Sunday. He was heading towards favouritism even before Stradivarius, the winner for the last four years; was scratched an hour before the race, and Spanish Mission; third home in the Gold Cup at Ascot, was also ruled out not long afterwards.
However after turning for home Hollie Doyle took him to the far rail and then the front and the partnership slowly turned the screw. One-by-one they cracked in behind with the five-year-old powering clear to score by four lengths from Away He Goes (33/1) with the admirable Sir Ron Priestley sticking on well for third.
Hollie Doyle celebrated a 123-1 treble headlined by Trueshan on day one of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
Sent off the 6-5 favourite for the Al Shaqab Cup; following after withdrawal of Stradivarius, he powered clear in the closing stages to win by four lengths.
Doyle then scored on Lord Riddiford (13-2) in the Back To Goodwood Handicap, before taking the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes with Sisters In The Sky (13-2).
After her success on Trueshan, a first Group 1 for Alan King, Doyle said: “It’s incredible. He’s been in my mind every day since Champions Day; when we could get back together – these are the days you do it for.
“He was pretty fresh early on; they were going no gallop and I expected there to be a bit of pace on and at halfway I thought ‘I’ve got to do something about this; I’m not getting trapped on the rail, they’re going to sprint finish’.
“I managed to slide onto the girths of the leaders, he completely dropped the bridle with me and the further he went, the better. When I hit the rising ground, he went again.”
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