Doncaster Cup: Report, replay and reaction to Coltrane beating Trueshan

Alan King's Trueshan was sent off the 2/9 favourite under Hollie Doyle but he was quite keen early on and was held up right at the back of the field which made things tricky once the sprint for home began around three furlongs from the finish.

Frankie Dettori had tried to dictate matters on mare Lismore and she quickened smartly after turning into the straight, but David Probert was alive to the move on 9/1 shot Coltrane as Trueshan took a while to hit top gear out in the centre of the course.

Coltrane - completing a double on the day for trainer Andrew Balding after Chaldean won the Champagne Stakes earlier on - collared Lismore inside the final furlong and had just enough in hand to repel the late lunge of Trueshan, passing the post with a neck to spare.

Coltrane was cut to 7/1 from 14/1 by Sky Bet for the Long Distance Cup at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day.

Balding said: “He’s done us proud. He’s had a long season and the worry is that at some stage he’s going to cry enough but he was so tough there, he’s so game.

“The slow pace wouldn’t have suited him. He’s won over two and a half miles at Ascot and we were a little worried about the ground as he disappointed the last time he ran on very slow ground. He’s a star.

“He’s a course and distance winner so next year’s Ascot Gold Cup would have to be an option, but we’ll just enjoy today.”

Of Trueshan, King said: “I think he was remembering Goodwood (third in Goodwood Cup) as he was frightened to let himself down today, even though the ground is perfect. He’s gone right, he’s gone left and it was only in the last half-furlong that Hollie said he’s actually let himself go.

“I’ve never seen him do that before. I think he was thinking it was going to hurt again. It obviously hurt him at Goodwood, although he seemed fine.

“We had a very hard race at Newcastle (Northumberland Plate) and then we’ve run him on ground that’s quicker than he likes at Goodwood and I think it left its mark.

“I’ve got to speak to the owners, but personally I would say it’s Ascot or nowhere. I’m not going to get him back (for the Prix du Cadran) in two and a half weeks, so we’ll hope we get really soft ground at Ascot, otherwise I might put him away for the winter again.

“It’s been a total mess of a summer for him. We’ve tried to keep him ready to go, we’ve been to Ascot twice and not run, we went to Goodwood and ran him and York was a no brainer (not to run) because the ground was rattling quick, but he still went up there.

“He came up here on Thursday and came back Friday, so it’s not ideal. Coltrane probably did the same to be fair and I’m not knocking him at all.”

He added: “People have criticised me all the way through about not running him, but I think you can see why.”

Doyle was suspended for four days (September 25-28 inclusive) for using her whip above the permitted level from two and a half furlongs out.

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