Trueshan - a Group One winner in 2021 - missed Royal Ascot due to the quick ground but made no mistake in the race he finished sixth in last year; Spirit Mixer was a good second beaten half a length, with Hugo Palmer's Solent Gateway and Rajinsky third and fourth
Saturday 25 June 2022 17:18, UK
Hollie Doyle and Trueshan defied 10st 8lb to claim a historic Northumberland Plate success at Newcastle for trainer Alan King.
In simply stunning fashion, the pair managed to give away 19lb or more to all of their rivals, battling back after being outpaced early in the straight to defeat Spirit Mixer in a stirring finish.
The Gosforth Park crowd roared home the Classic-winning rider from a long way out, having looked under pressure half a mile from the finish.
But Doyle - a Sky Sports Racing ambassador - managed to galvanise her mount back through the field and get the better of Spirit Mixer and Callum Hutchinson in the final furlong, winning by half a length at the line.
That victory vindicated trainer King's move to pull his six-year-old stayer out of two races at Royal Ascot, in both cases due to the quick ground at the Berkshire track.
Hugo Palmer - who took the Northumberland Vase with Zoffee earlier on the card - trained the third and fourth in the race with Solent Gateway and the well-fancied Rajinsky.
Doyle, who just last week won her first Classic on Nashwa in the French Oaks, told Sky Sports Racing that Trueshan's weight-carrying performance may never be repeated again.
"That was unreal. But I had to give him a squeeze and I don't usually have to do that. He's never had to battle hard to win a race, he's always won so easily.
"But he got into that battle and it was the first time I've ever seen it from him, but his ears pinned back and he really knuckled down. He was not getting beaten.
"I don't think we'll see anything like that again in this company.
"It's been a good few months, or years I could say. I can't complain how things are going but I'm pretty greedy, once I get a taste of success I want more and more. I'll do all I can to keep it going. Long may it continue."
