Trueshan skips Ascot with the Prix Royal-Oak in France now the target

Trueshan, a courageous runner-up to Kyprios in the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp last Saturday, could well be crossing the channel again on Sunday week for the Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud over a trip four and a half furlongs shorter.

Alan, proud of how well Trueshan stuck on for second place against the eight-times G1 winner in France, said:”Kyprios has already beaten us twice this season and is clearly one of the all-time greats in the staying division, so I don’t see the point in taking him on again at Ascot.”

Trueshan would have been attempting to win the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day for a record fourth time, but Alan is happy to give it a miss this year.

He added:”Trueshan ran a terrific race at Longchamp, so if we do give him one more run before he heads off for his winter break it will be the Prix Royal-Oak and not Ascot.

“Earlier in the season Trueshan was facing impossible tasks with his G1 penalty, but he still performed to a consistent level and he has been running well in the second half of the season without the extra weight.”

The jumps season begins to take shape on Saturday at Chepstow, where Alan has declared Rakki, Tritonic and Grandeur d’Ame. Rakki is 0-8 on the Flat, but he produced a career-best performance when beaten only a nose by Almudena at Sandown in July, so it will be interesting to see how he takes to jumping. He makes the switch to the winter game in a tight five-runner juvenile hurdle which kick-starts the Gwent programme.

Tritonic, who flies the flag for Barbury in the Silver Trophy, is a three-time winner over hurdles. He has been running well on the Flat and finished a good third in a Heritage handicap at York’s Ebor meeting, but he was also a creditable fourth at Aintree on his last run over timber at last season’s Grand National fixture.

Grandeur d’Ame, who has won three times over fences, also finished an excellent fourth in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham’s pre-Christmas meeting last year, and he returns after his summer break.

Before then, however, we have Loughville, 7lb higher than when winning at Newbury’s Dubai Duty Free meeting, stepping up in trip at Bath today in what looks a tougher race. Hollie Doyle rides.

Brioni produced a career-best performance to win at Ascot last month. He looks to have improved since being gelded, but the handicapper has given him an 8lb hike up the weights, so he’ll need to come on again in the Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket tomorrow.

Outgun is also in action tomorrow. He likes Kempton, having won on the Sunbury course last month after being beaten only half a length over the same track in August. He is now 3lb higher, but the surface suits him so fingers crossed.