RACING has been plunged into mourning after the tragic death of legendary horse Trueshan.
The iconic stayer was vying for the lead in the £500,000 Goodwood Cup when he injured his leg under jockey Hollie Doyle.
Trueshan, a millionaire horse and multiple Group 1 winner loved by punters and jockey Hollie Doyle, suffered a serious injury in the Goodwood CupAlamy
Trueshan gave Doyle some of her biggest wins in the saddle – but sadly there was nothing that could be done to save the horse after he injured his leg in the Goodwood CupGetty
ITV Racing host Ed Chamberlin: “I just feel so sad about Trueshan.”
James Given, BHA Director of Equine Health and Welfare, explained exactly what had happened.
He said: “Firstly I want to express my sincere condolences to connections.
“No one will feel this more than them.
“Unfortunately it was an accident mid-race when he was running in a straight line, slightly uphill. His left hind pastern broke.
“It left him with a situation that wasn’t recoverable.
“Alan (King, trainer) got down there and assessed it with the vet.
“Alan was able to say goodbye but there was no option but to put him down.”
Holding back tears, he added: “An empty box is hard to deal with.”
Doyle said she had been left heartbroken by what happened.
The trailblazing jockey said: “I’m just devastated. It couldn’t be any worse.
“He was a special, special horse, I can’t think of anything else to say.
“I am gutted. He’s been amazing for me, a star, and those memories we have together are some of my very best.
Doyle tried to pull up nine-year-old Trueshan as quickly as she could when she realised something had gone wrong.
‘Air sucked out of the course’
Sun Racing reporter Jack Keene on the scene at Goodwood as the loss of Trueshan was confirmed…
THE air was sucked out of the crowd at Glorious Goodwood after Trueshan’s fatal injury.
The nine-year-old was a huge fan favourite and the atmosphere was incredibly sombre after he was pulled up, with many on-course fearing the worst before the sad news was later confirmed.
Hollie Doyle was visibly emotional when returning to the weighing room without the horse she’d won 11 races aboard, including the Goodwood Cup four years ago, while it will be a terrible blow to Alan King, who was able to be with the horse while he was treated by vets.
He is the sort of horse punters can’t help but grow fond of – he ran in all the big staying races for several years and always tried his heart out.
He’ll be sadly missed.
Trueshan, who has won more than £2million during the course of his career, was sent off 22-1 for the day one feature.
He was typically keen and lit up in the early stages but Doyle, who won the Lennox earlier on the card aboard 25-1 Witness Stand, looked to be winning the battle to restrain him.
But it was as he challenged leader Illinois that Trueshan, who has finished first, third and fourth in three Goodwood Cup runs, appeared to hurt his leg.
An ambulance was called onto the track but the news everybody feared was sadly confirmed shortly after.
This was the second race in succession the ambulance had been called into action.
Kinross, who was vying for favouritism at the head of the betting for the Lennox, was kicked by Audience just moments before the off.
He appeared to be bleeding and was quickly pulled from the race.
Trueshan had won 16 of his 34 career races – although his most recent was a Listed contest at Sandown over a year ago.
He won the Long Distance Cup at Ascot three times, the mega-money Prix Du Cadran in Paris twice and the Goodwood Cup once, in 2021.
As well as an awesome stayer on turf he will be remembered for arguably the ‘greatest weight-carrying performance of all time’ when he won the Northumberland Plate in 2022.
Punters were quick to pay tribute to a giant of racing, with many saying there were left ‘absolutely heartbroken’ by his death.
Another wrote: “Struggling to know what to say. Desperately upsetting. What a wonderful horse. Wish he hadn’t gone that way.”
While a third said: “Feeling absolutely destroyed and devastated by this news. I just absolutely loved him.
“So horrible to see. Rest in peace, Trueshan.”
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