Group 1 winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) will return in the Betway Churchill S. at Lingfield next weekend before an intended start in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase in December. The 4-year-old, who claimed the G2 King Edward VII S. and G2 Great Voltigeur S. at three, had an abbreviated two-start campaign this season. Second by 2 1/4 length in the G2 Jockey Club S. at Newmarket making his 4-year-old bow, Pyledriver clawed his way to a neck victory in Epsom's G1 Coronation Cup over Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) on June 4. He was due to run in the G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern on Sunday, but co-trainer William Muir opted for the Lingfield contest instead. After his Asian target, the entire will be aimed at the Saudi Cup meeting at the end of February prior to a Dubai campaign.
Muir said, “We decided after Martin [Dwyer] rode him on Tuesday not to go to Germany. Martin asked what our target was–I told him the Hong Kong Vase, and he said that he'd run well in Germany but he'd come on for the run.
“The train we'd planned to take was cancelled, so we'd have to have gone via ferry and we thought we'd go to Lingfield on Saturday instead. While that is not his ideal trip [10 furlongs], we'll use it as a prep for Hong Kong.
“It's the sort of thing the big trainers do quite often, run them over a trip short of their best so it doesn't push them as much. He'll give everything, as he always does, but Martin felt a run would put him spot on–and he said he's never felt as strong.
“It was only a minor setback he had–we went through the exact programme the vet said, and we've not had a hiccup or anything. But our main target had to be the Hong Kong Vase, and then his winter campaign starts, Saudi in February and then Dubai–three very big races.”
He added, “To have started off throwing him straight back into a Group 1 may have been tough on him. I was also worried about the ground, but in fairness it's good out there. I think he'd have gone close if we'd gone, but Martin just felt he'd come on for a run.
“He's won a Group 1. He's going to be a horse to campaign all around the world now. Had it been a week later, I might have gone to Germany, but I'm looking forward to Lingfield now.”
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