Jon Lees, reporting from Ascot
The La Pyle Partnership's Pyledriver upset the established order at Ascot to capture the 1 ½-mile QIPCO King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1), Britain's all-aged middle distance championship race, on Sunday and earned a guaranteed starting position in the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge “ Win and You're In” series.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington on Nov. 4-5.
At odds of 18-1, the joint outsider with Broome of the six-runner field, Pyledriver delivered co-trainers William Muir and Chris Grassick their greatest moment in the sport by defeating last year's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Torquator Tasso and 2021 Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Mishriff—and there was no fluke about it.
The 5-year-old Pyledriver, a son of Harbour Watch out of the jumping mare La Pyle had given Muir, a license-holder for 31 years, his first top-level victory in the Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom in 2021, but a training setback kept Pyledriver off the track until the end of the year.
Despite seeing him finish a well-beaten second on his return to defend his Coronation Cup title in June, Muir, in his second year in partnership with Grassick, went into the King George with every confidence of a better outcome.
Ridden by P. J. McDonald, Pyledriver sat off the pacesetting 3-year-old Westover, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1) winner and 13-8 favorite, and Broome. Once pulled out to challenge with a quarter mile to run, Pyledriver drew clear of the field to score by 2 ¾ lengths in 2:29.49 on turf rated good to firm. There was another eight lengths between Torquator Tasso and Mishriff, with Broome fourth. Westover finished fifth and the filly Emily Upjohn sixth. Pyledriver improved his record to seven wins in 18 starts.
McDonald had replaced Frankie Dettori, who had been claimed by the John and Thady Gosden stable for Emily Upjohn, who in turn had filled in for regular jockey Martin Dwyer, Muir's son-in-law, who is out injured.
McDonald, who started out as a jump jockey winning the four-mile Scottish Grand National in 2007, said: “When Martin got injured I knew my name was in the hat but Frankie became available and I understand why they decided to go with him.
“Today, it was my time. Everything panned out so well. I can't believe it. I was waiting in that last furlong to see where the rest were but they never came. You cherish every one of these big winners because of how hard you have to work through your career to get them.”
Muir, 64, said: “I knew he would win a fortnight ago. This is the horse you just dream of. People can knock him but this is a champion.
“I knew he was good. I was disappointed last time in the Coronation Cup because I feel they went a sedate pace and it turned into a sprint race. This horse loves an end-to-end gallop.
“I've been in the game a long time and I could probably cry. I'm not a crier but I feel very emotional. This is everything.”
He continued: “Westover was breathtaking in the Irish Derby but he'd never taken on the older horses. I've seen this race through my years and this is a tough race. I knew it was over a furlong out. I was through the crowd like a leveret [young hare]! He is a beast when he's ready, and I knew he was ready. We're a small yard and to get a horse like this is just what you dream of.”
The La Pyle Partnership, who also bred Pyledriver, comprises brothers Guy and Huw Leach and their friend Roger Devlin, who bought the horse back at auction when the bidding only reached 10,000 guineas (US$12,600).
The Longines Breeders' Cup Turf is one of a host of international prizes that could beckon at the end of the year for Pyledriver, but the only race Muir would commit to at this stage was the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), which is also a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf.
“He is going to the Arc,” he said. “We made the plan last year, Coronation, King George, Arc.
Pyledriver becomes the fifth horse to earn an automatic starting position into this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, joining Village King, winner of the Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini (G1) in Argentina, State Of Rest, who won the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, Titleholder, who captured the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) in Japan, and Nautilus, winner of the Grande Premio Brasil (G1) in Brazil.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Pyledriver to start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 24 to receive the rewards.
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