Group One winning stayer Trueshan looks set to defend his title in the British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot on Saturday hot off landing the Prix du Cadran at the Longchamp's Arc meeting.
The winner of last season’s British Champions’ Long Distance Cup at the end of the campaign firmly put Trueshan in the mix for a go at the staying races this season.
His dominant display over two miles on soft ground at Ascot in October saw him go off second favourite for the Ormonde Stakes at Chester but found the trip and course too taxing for speed to get the better of Japan.
Missing the gold cup due to the underfoot conditions, he instead tried to shoulder top weight in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle, but a rating of 118 left him giving away too much weight to the rest of the field.
Since then he has waited for his perfect conditions and got that in the Group Two Goodwood Cup where he went on to rout a good field of stayers by close to four lengths.
Skipping the Doncaster Cup he headed into the Group One Prix Du Cadran in France and getting his ideal trip and ground he went to battle with Stradivarius and beat him by close to five lengths.
HOW impressive was Trueshan in the Long Distance Cup yesterday?! 😱👏🏼
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure) October 18, 2020
Alan King's progressive stayer travelled strongly throughout and once popped the question, showed a blistering turn of foot to win with any amount in hand 🐎💨
🎬 @AtTheRaces pic.twitter.com/HXURkkoQsq
Having only run two weeks ago, King has explained the horse is in good order and with the round course described as soft, good to soft in places on Wednesday morning he looks set to feature.
(Credit ATR) The handler said: “We didn’t do much for the first week or so (after winning the Prix du Cadran at the start of the month), but he had a little breeze this morning and I was very happy, so we look as if we’re on track for the weekend.
“It’s only two weeks since he ran but there’s not much we can do about that. It’s going to be his last run of the season so I think we can roll the dice and hope for the best.
“There were a lot of times when we used to go Cheltenham and Aintree with only two weeks between them and got away with that. I would have preferred another week but we haven’t got that, so that’s where we are.
“I thought he was better in France than Goodwood. I was pleased with the way he settled because I was concerned about the extra half-mile that day, but he saw it out very well and travelled through the race like a class act.”
King added: “I think the ground will be fine. I’d run this horse on good ground but the twice we’ve taken him out, at Ascot and York, it was proper good to firm so it was an easy decision to make.
“It looks as if they will get a heavy dew every morning so it should be fine, I can’t see good to firm creeping in anyway.
“It was unfortunate Hollie couldn’t ride in France but James was a good substitute, within reason he’s Hollie’s ride.”