A fatal injury to Trueshan cast a shadow over what should have been a joyous Goodwood Cup (G1) July 29. Racing will mourn the staying star at Goodwood while recognizing the birth of another in Scandinavia.
Trueshan's death resulted in an unmistakably subdued atmosphere in the winner's enclosure. Yet, it was unable to entirely eliminate the feeling that Aidan O'Brien could have something special on his hands with Scandinavia.
Scandinavia slowly but surely inched his way past his stablemate and eventual runner-up Illinois to not only strike at group 1 level at the first attempt, but also propel himself into early favoritism for the St Leger Stakes (G1) Sept. 13.
For Illinois, who had his share of close major stakes defeats, success in the Goodwood Cup would have been a crowning moment. For Scandinavia, it seems to be just the start of his climb to the top, having built impressively on his Bahrain Trophy (G3) romp at Newmarket three weeks ago.
Ryan Moore was the man on board for that group 3 assignment, but having defected to Illinois, Wayne Lordan stepped up.
"He's improving," Lordan said of his mount. "He's only a 3-year-old and was taking on the older horses for the first time. We always felt the trip was going to be okay for him, but he was going up against group 1 performers and had to step up too. Even though he won well last time, we were still finding out a bit today. If it didn't happen, it was going to happen in the future."
Lordan is assured Scandinavia's future is bright and his potential is now visible to all, having largely slipped under the radar until his Newmarket success. His promise had always been visible to those on the inside of the Ballydoyle machine, even if he had originally been penciled in for a different classic contest than his likely next start in the St Leger.
"The lads actually backed this horse for the Derby very early in his career; he was always considered a very good horse," O'Brien said.
Another Ballydoyle blockbuster could be on the cards should Scandinavia and Lambourn head to Doncaster.
As for other Goodwood Cup competitors, Sweet William fared best of the best to be third
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Hugely Popular Veteran Trueshan Suffers Fatal Injury in Goodwood Cup
Hollie Doyle described Trueshan as a "special, special horse" who gave her some of her best memories after he suffered a fatal injury in the Goodwood Cup.
It was the popular campaigner's 35th start and fourth run in the Goodwood Cup when he was pulled up after sustaining an injury six furlongs out. The stayer enjoyed one of his finest moments when winning the race in 2021 and struck in two more group 1 races when landing the Prix du Cadran (G1) later that year and again in 2023.
Trueshan was also regularly one of the main attractions on British Champions Day, at which he won the Long Distance Cup in 2020, 2021, and 2022. The last of those victories was achieved in battling style over regular foe Coltrane, while he had the great Stradivarius behind him the year before.
"He was a special, special horse," Doyle told Sky Sports Racing. "I'm just devastated. He's been amazing for me, a star, and those memories we have together are some of my very best."
Trueshan was trained in Wiltshire by Alan King and was primarily ridden by Doyle, who struck up a golden relationship with the gelding. She partnered him for 23 of his starts, although 9-year-old Trueshan began his career under her husband Tom Marquand at Nottingham in October 2018.
After a quiet start to 2023, Trueshan bounced back when carting Doyle to the front four furlongs out in the 2023 Doncaster Cup (G2) and was not for catching, registering a memorable success over Sweet William and Broome. His last win came in the 2024 Coral Marathon at Sandown.
The BHA's director of equine health and welfare, James Given, said: "What has happened, unfortunately, is an accident mid-race in a straight line going up the hill. His left hind pastern broke, which left him in a situation that wasn't recoverable from.
"Alan was able to get down there and assess him with the vets, and they felt there was no option really but to put him down."
Trueshan won over £2 million in prize money for his owners—the Barbury Lions and, more recently, the Singula Partnership.
