Despite taking place over a stamina-sapping two-mile trip, the Goodwood Cup is no stranger to providing a nail-biting finish. Such was the case in the 2025 edition of the Group 1 contest as Aidan O’Brien’s Scandinavia slowly but surely wore down his better-fancied stablemate Illinois.
Time may show that the race witnessed the emergence of a new staying star. However, the 2025 Goodwood Cup will forever be remembered as the final racecourse appearance of the Alan King star, Trueshan. Still in contention well inside the final mile, the hugely popular performer tragically suffered a fracture to his near-hind pastern and could not be saved. A desperately sad end to a fantastic career, but what memories he left those close to him and fans of the sport. Here, we look back at the career of a horse who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the modern staying greats.
Exploding onto the Scene as a Three-Year-Old
Sired by Prix Ganay winner Planteur and out of the low-key dam Shao Line, Trueshan hit the track in 2018 with a promising pedigree – but no more than that. Finishing only sixth of nine on his sole start at two, he flew completely under the radar entering his three-year-old campaign.
Trueshan’s Record as a Two-Year-Old (2018)
| Date | Race | Course | Distance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17/10/18 | Maiden Stakes | Nottingham | 1m ½f | 6th at 20/1 |
In hindsight, the 1m½f trip of his Nottingham debut was never likely to suit a horse who boasted stamina in spades. Stepped up in trip at three, he really began to show what he could do. Sent off at odds of 33/1 in a 1m4f event at Wolverhampton, he mastered subsequent Northumberland Plate winner Caravan Of Hope before beating that same horse by a greater margin at Ffos Las.
Trueshan’s Record as a Three-Year-Old (2019)
| Date | Race | Course | Distance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/8/19 | Novice Stakes | Wolverhampton | 1m 4f | 1st at 33/1 |
| 29/8/19 | Novice Stakes | Ffos Las | 1m 4f | 1st at 9/2 |
| 7/9/19 | Handicap | Haydock | 1m 6f | 2nd at 8/1 |
| 11/10/19 | Old Rowley Cup | Newmarket | 1m 4f | 1st at 13/2 |
| 25/10/19 | Conditions Stakes | Newbury | 1m 5½f | 1st at 2/1 |
Handed an opening mark of 91, he suffered defeat on handicap debut at Haydock but soon put that right with back-to-back wins at Newmarket. Initially pencilled in for a career over jumps, that latter victory over the talented Hamish encouraged Alan King to stick to the flat with his rising star.
Climbing the Ladder at Four
Already up to a mark of 109, deeper waters beckoned for a four-year-old Trueshan. Five outings in 2020 produced three wins, including the Listed Tapster Stakes at Haydock and Group 2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup.
With his sole defeats that season coming on good ground, connections realised they had a soft-ground staying specialist on their hands.
2021: A Year to Remember
With a Group 2 in the bag, Trueshan and his new regular rider, Hollie Doyle, were ready to take on the big guns. 2021 began relatively quietly with defeats in the Ormonde Stakes and Northumberland Plate, but Trueshan sprang into life in the latter part of the season.
With the rain in his favour, the now five-year-old started as the 6/5 favourite for the Goodwood Cup in a field containing a trio of Aidan O’Brien runners, including the winners of the English and Irish Derbies. None could lay a glove on Trueshan, who powered almost four lengths clear to hand trainer Alan King a first career Group 1 success.
Sent to Longchamp for his next assignment, Trueshan locked horns with the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 Goodwood Cup winner, Stradivarius, in a much-anticipated clash. Approaching the two-furlong pole, Trueshan and Stradivarius hit the front to serve up the battle fans had waited for. Try as he might, Stradivarius couldn’t live with the relentless staying power of his rival as Trueshan forged four-and-a-half lengths clear on the run to the line.
Backing up that win with a second Long Distance Cup at Ascot, Trueshan was crowned the Champion Stayer of 2021 at the prestigious Cartier Awards.
2022 to 2024: Further Group Success and a Sensational Display at Newcastle
Trueshan would never quite replicate the consistent highs of that 2021 campaign. However, the latter years of his career were peppered with highlights. 2022 brought Listed success in the Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham and a third Long Distance Cup. However, his standout effort came when shouldering a welter burden of 10st8lb to victory in the Northumberland Plate, with 2025 champ Spirit Mixer back in second.
Keeping up the pattern of winning a race in all but his first and last seasons, Trueshan added the Group 2 Doncaster Cup and a second Prix Du Cadran in 2023 and the Listed Coral Marathon in 2024.
Gone but Never Forgotten
A devastating loss to Alan King, Hollie Doyle, and his owners, including Andrew Gemmell of Paisley Park fame, Trueshan won 16 of 35 career starts and amassed over £2m in prize money.
Befitting such a record, Alan King confirmed that his greatest flat performer will be laid to rest with his National Hunt stars at Barbury Castle when stating:
“He’s coming back to Barbury too. We have a graveyard here, so he’s going to be with Viking Flagship, Balder Succes, and Katchit, which is where he should be.”