Royal Ascot’s most prolific non-runner misses Gold Cup again due to the going

Royal Ascot’s most prolific non-runner has been scratched again.

Trueshan is one of the country’s top stayers who when he runs on his favoured soft ground is a formidable opponent. The eight-year-old is a four-time Group 1 winner who has earned £1.8 million in prize money.

Yet he has never been able to run in the Ascot Gold Cup, the signature race of the five-day royal meeting. He has been declared for the 2m4f race on four occasions but each time he has been pulled out by trainer Alan King on the day of the race.

He was also a non-runner in the 2022 Queen Alexandra Stakes, the last race of the meeting, for which he was declared on Saturday under regular rider Hollie Doyle in case there is a change in the weather.

With the ground good to firm and no rain at a sun-baked Ascot, since the meeting started, it seemed inevitable Trueshan would not take his chance.

The news was met with some wry comments on social media with a punter on X commenting, “To the surprise of ABSOLUTELY nobody.” Another observed: “And people say there are no certainties in racing.”

Ahead of the Gold Cup the latest bulletin on King’s runners on his website said: “Alan has declared Trueshan for tomorrow’s Ascot Gold Cup, but three times the most coveted staying crown in Flat racing has been pencilled in for the Royal meeting’s jewel in the crown, yet each time he has had to be withdrawn as the rain never arrived in time to ease the ground.

“The weathermen tell us that if Ascot is going to be hit by a thunderstorm then it will likely not be until Saturday, maybe even after racing. However, Alan had nothing to lose by declaring Trueshan at the 48-hour stage – he would have looked pretty silly had he pulled him out now, only for it to ‘rain cats and dogs’ tomorrow morning.

“Trueshan ran well to finish an honourable third in the Henry 11 Stakes at Sandown and has worked well since, but it seems that he is jinxed when it comes to the Royal meeting.”