Sweet William storms past Trueshan to win Doncaster Cup

Trained by John and Thady Gosden and owned by Philippa Cooper, the five-year-old has always run with credit in the top staying events, but has regularly had to settle for minor honours.

Third to Kyprios at Ascot in the Gold Cup, before chasing home Aidan O’Brien’s star of the division in the Goodwood equivalent, he was sent off the 7/4 favourite to go one better on Town Moor.

Although slowly away in the hands of his regular pilot Robert Havlin, he was never far away from the action as Trueshan shaded a narrow advantage up top from Sweet William’s stablemate Gregory.

It was Trueshan who led them into the straight and with Gregory coming under pressure, the eye was drawn to Sweet William edging into contention.

Sent on by Havlin with a furlong and a half to run, he showed a striking turn of foot to surge clear of Trueshan – who despite rallying and gaining ground on the idling Sweet William in the closing stages, still finished a length adrift of Clarehaven’s fourth winner of the Doncaster staying showpiece in second.

Havlin said: “I kicked on early enough, but he was travelling so well I just thought ‘I’m just going to go for it and see what happens’.

“We’ve been mucking about with him doing different things at home, letting him lead and stuff.

“We had a visor on him with these tiny slits and we’ve just made the slits a little bigger so he can see a little bit more. You just have to change things around and keep him interested.

“He seems to be getting better, but you mustn’t forget he had seven screws inserted in his leg when he was younger and you never know how that will affect them, mentally that can take its toll and with him there’s always a little seed in there that might say ‘not today, son’.

“He’s never been out of the first three in his whole life. You could say he might have finished closer in some races, even in this last year he ducked a bit to his left.

“I thought he quickened really well at the two today, nothing was going to take me any further. I love riding him, he’s a character and he deserved to win a race like this.”