Trueshan enjoying a mid-season break
July 6
With the prolonged warm dry spell, which again scuppered hopes of Trueshan breaking the three-year jinx of Royal Ascot, being carried over into July, Alan has given his stable-star a mid-season break, thereby opting out of the Goodwood Cup, which the horse won in 2021 and finished a gallant third to Kyprios 12 months ago.
Alan said:”Trueshan is fine, but I didn’t even enter him for Goodwood. Keep him on the boil through summer would only have had us praying for rain yet again, so we’ve decided to give him a little holiday instead. Doubtless it will rain cats and dogs towards the end of the month and Goodwood will come up soft to heavy, but we are sticking to this plan.”
Trueshan underwent wind surgery after disappointing in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot in May, so Alan has taken the time to review the situation.
He added:”When Trueshan resumes work we will probably train him for the Prix du Cadran again at Longchamp’s Arc meeting and then possibly the Long Distance Cup at Ascot on Champions Day, And, depending how we get on come the autumn, we would then sit down and think about hurdling.
“Trying to go jumping after a busy season on the Flat is very difficult, but he’s only had two races this season and will now have a few weeks off, so we’ll see what happens in those planned next two races before seriously considering any switch to hurdling.”
Alan might not have celebrated a winner at Royal Ascot this year, but there were still a couple of positives coming out of the meeting, with Tritonic finishing a creditable third in the Ascot Stakes and HMS President being beaten only a neck in the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap.
Alan said:”They both ran cracking races, and Tritonic will now have a tilt at the Goodwood Stakes, while we are considering the mile and six furlong handicap at Newmarket’s July meeting next week for HMS President. He is also very much in our minds for the Ebor. It’s tight as to whether he will get into the big York handicap, but he is now rated 101, which judged on the last two or three years gives him a good chance of making the cut.”
Meanwhile, Alan is looking forward to running the improving Paradias in the mile and a quarter handicap back at Sandown on Saturday. Having blown away the cobwebs with a pleasing seasonal reappearance at Windsor, where he finished second on what was his first race since a wind operation, Paradias went one better in convincing fashion on the Esher slopes three weeks ago.
That was a career-best performance from Paradias, who was put up 5lb by the official assessor, but he finished second and third on his two other trips to Sandown, and the track seems to suit him. So here’s hoping that he’ll again be a major player.
