Trueshan suffers fatal injury in Goodwood Cup

Hollie Doyle described Trueshan as a “special, special horse” who gave her some of her best memories after he suffered a fatal injury in the Goodwood Cup. 

It was the popular campaigner’s 35th start and fourth run in the Goodwood Cup when he was pulled up after sustaining an injury six furlongs out. The stayer enjoyed one of his finest moments when winning the race in 2021 and struck in two more Group 1 races when landing the Prix du Cadran later that year and again in 2023.

Trueshan was also regularly one of the main attractions on British Champions Day, at which he won the Long Distance Cup in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The last of those victories was achieved in battling style over regular foe Coltrane, while he had the great Stradivarius behind him the year before.

“He was a special, special horse,” Doyle told Sky Sports Racing. “I’m just devastated. He’s been amazing for me, a star, and those memories we have together are some of my very best.”

Trueshan was trained in Wiltshire by Alan King and was primarily ridden by Doyle, who struck up a golden relationship with the gelding. She partnered him for 23 of his starts, although Trueshan began his career under her husband Tom Marquand at Nottingham in October 2018.

The nine-year-old was a regular in the top staying contests and put up a staggering weight-carrying performance in the 2022 Northumberland Plate, carrying 10st 8lb to victory and defying an official handicap mark of 120.

After a quiet start to 2023, Trueshan bounced back when carting Doyle to the front four furlongs out in the 2023 Doncaster Cup and was not for catching, registering a memorable success over Sweet William and Broome. His last win came in the 2024 Coral Marathon at Sandown.

The BHA’s director of equine health and welfare James Given said: “What has happened, unfortunately, is an accident mid-race in a straight line going up the hill. His left-hind pastern broke, which left him in a situation that wasn’t recoverable from.

“Alan was able to get down there and assess him with the vets and they felt there was no option really but to put him down.”

Trueshan was purchased for 31,000gns at the Tattersalls Breeze-Up sale in 2018 and won over £2 million in prize-money for his owners the Barbury Lions and more recently the Singula Partnership.