King wont go for gold with Trueshan unless it rains with the five-year-old set to be re-routed to the Northumberland Plate instead
- Trueshan is the 8-1 third favourite for the centrepiece of royal meeting at Ascot
- Alan King confirmed Truehsan ‘would not be risked on good to firm ground’
- Aidan O’Brien has added Empress Josephine to the line-up for Coronation Stakes
Leading Gold Cup hope Trueshan will be re-routed to the Northumberland Plate in Newcastle unless rain arrives at Ascot.
The Alan King-trained five-year-old is 8-1 third favourite for the centrepiece of the royal meeting and is the highest-profile ride there for Hollie Doyle.
Doyle and Trueshan won the Long Distance Cup at Ascot on British Champions Day in October. But Trueshan, who was second to Japan in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester last month on his first run of the season, has never raced on ground quicker than Good. Parts of the track are already good to firm and watering has started with a largely dry forecast for the week.
Hollie Doyle rode Trueshan to victory Qipco British Champions Long distance cup last year
King said: ‘We’re going to need a thunderstorm. We will declare him to run on Tuesday but we want rain. It is unpredictable. Epsom got rain on Oaks day last week when it wasn’t forecast but Trueshan would not be risked on good to firm ground.’
Trueshan would have to shoulder top weight of 10st 4lb in the Northumberland Plate on June 26. King added: ‘It is a very strong possibility he would go there. He is ready to run and he has won on an all-weather track before.’
Aidan O’Brien has added Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Empress Josephine to the line-up for Friday’s Coronation Stakes.