King mulls over Trueshan options

Trainer Alan King says he is yet to decide whether Trueshan will head to Nottingham or Ascot for his next outing.

Trueshan started off 2020 with a fourth-place finish at Newmarket in the Listed Buckhounds Stakes, before then going on to claim the spoils at Haydock Park next time out in the Listed Tapster Stakes.

A disappointing eighth at the York Ebor followed, but the four-year-old gelding bounced back from that run to win the Persian Punch Conditions Stakes at Salisbury before landing the Group Two QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot in October on his latest outing.

King has now revealed his charge will either compete in the Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham in two weeks’ time or the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot next, but a final decision is yet to be made.

“Trueshan will either go to the Further Flight or the Sagaro Stakes. He is ticking away. He is not a flashy workhorse, though he seems okay,” he said. “The Further Flight is less than two weeks away and although the horse has been in strong work for a bit, he would only just be ready to go to Nottingham if we do go there.

“We will see how he is nearer the time and what the opposition looks like before making a decision. He was very impressive on Champions Day. We were hoping he would run well but we weren’t expecting a performance like that.”