Group 1 winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) might defend his G1 Coronation Cup crown later this spring. The 5-year-old has exited his fourth-place finish in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in good order, according to co-trainer William Muir, who holds the license with Chris Grassick. Owned by the La Pyle Partnership, the entire won the Listed Churchill S. at Lingfield last November and was a very good second in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin on Dec. 12. In the G3 Neom Turf Cup on Feb. 26, Pyledriver could not overcome a wide draw and ran 11th.
“Obviously, whatever happened on Saturday, we were delighted we finished a length behind the winner [Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}],” said Muir. “Frankie [Dettori] said, 'I'm so sorry, I should have won. If I'd have got the split I'd have won. I never got the split, I've had to check his momentum, take him out of his stride and asked him to quicken again–and he did quicken again'. He said, 'You were just unlucky in running and you have got a very, very good horse here'.
“In Saudi Arabia we were drawn 14 and had no chance.
“When that horse came down bedside us (Channel Cat), Martin (Dwyer) said, 'I'll look after him for the next one'.
“It was just one of those things and on Saturday he ran out of his skin. We thought he would be bang there and we were. We are delighted.”
Another crack at the Hong Kong Vase in December is also in play, as is the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. on July 23.
Added Muir, “The owners, before we went to Dubai, said they would like to work back from Hong Kong, taking in the Arc and let's say the King George, with maybe something in between. But I said, 'If he comes back from Dubai and he is jumping and kicking, why don't we try to win the Coronation again?'.
“I went down to the stable yesterday morning. His legs were great, he ate most of his food, he looked fantastic and I spoke to the boys this morning. He is on the flight, he has put back on the six kilos he lost in the race, so it is fantastic.
“He was a horse who was always going to get better with age, because all his family does. They just improve and improve. When he gets home, I will sit down and get all the races mapped out with the owners.
“Frankie, when he jumped off, said, 'Run him in the King George, because that is your race. You know the track suits him, so run him in the King George'. The Coronation and the King George could happen. I was saying we could then miss one if we wanted to go back to Hong Kong.”
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