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Team Racehorse Lotto Moves To Top Of Racing League

Team Racehorse Lotto has risen to the top of the Racing League ranks after racking up a handful of placed efforts during the league's second card at Doncaster on Thursday evening. Team Newmarket Red, which held the lead after last week's opening meeting of the league at Newcastle, dropped to seventh but remains joint favourite with Racehorse Lotto, which won one race at Newcastle, to take the competition at 5-1 with Betfair. Team Racehorse Lotto holds a narrow three-point lead over Team BullionVault, with Josephine Gordon riding a winner for that team on Thursday. Martin Dwyer rode a double for Team ODDSbible, and there were two victories for Team Ireland, leaving them third and eighth, respectively, of the 12 teams.

Frankie Dettori rode three horses for Newmarket Red on Thursday evening, and although a third was his best finish he was complimentary of the new concept.

“The initiative and idea for the William Hill Racing League came along two or three years ago and when they approached me to take part I thought it was a good idea,” he said. “It's something different that will hopefully attract younger audiences, especially with the team concept. It's started off well and looks to already be a success.

“It's six Thursdays, 36 races, so it's dead easy to understand, it's in the summer months, people can come out and enjoy themselves and take an interest in the Racing League teams. The prize-money is great and I think it is great idea.”

Betfair Spokesman Barry Orr said, “There was some great racing in Doncaster and the competitiveness of the League is reflected in the betting. Newmarket Red still head the market but are out to 5-1 from 9-4, with Team Racehorse Lotto the big movers, going from 12-1 to 5-1 joint-favourite with Newmarket Red. Team ODDSBible have also attracted plenty of support and are now 7-1 from 16-1.”

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Martin Dwyer Appointed Second Retained Jockey to Imad Al Sagar

Martin Dwyer has been named as second retained jockey of Imad Al Sagar of Blue Diamond Stud. Hollie Doyle is first retained rider for Al Sagar.

“We are delighted to add Martin Dwyer to our team,” said Imad Al Sagar in a statement. “I look forward to working with him and envisage a fruitful partnership. Hollie Doyle remains our first jockey. However, the addition of such an experienced and Classic-winning rider such as Martin Dwyer gives us another dimension and adds further support to our team.”

Dwyer booted hom Sir Percy (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) in the 2006 G1 Derby, as well as Casual Look in the G1 Oaks in 2003. He rode Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) to victory in the 2021 G1 Coronation Cup earlier this month.

“I am looking forward to riding for Imad Al Sagar and excited to be part of a good team,” said Dwyer. “Imad Al Sagar is breeding and racing some lovely horses and it's exciting to be riding for an owner-breeder at that level-as a jockey, that's what you strive to do.”

Al Sagar has co-owned Group 1 winners Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Authorized (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Araafa (Ire) (Mull Of Kintyre) and stands the first-named stallion at the Irish National Stud. Blue Diamond Stud is home to 38 mares, among them Pearling (Storm Cat), the dam of Decorated Knight, and black-type producers Nouriya (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Nessina (Hennessy) to name a few.

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Snowfall, Rainfall And An Oaks Day To Savour

EPSOM, UK—It was an Oaks that delivered everything. An emphatic winner, bred in the purple, racing in the purple, representing a trio of the sport's most powerful owners for whom Epsom's famous winner's circle is almost a home from home.

It was also a record-breaking winning margin by a filly who reminded us just what a loss Deep Impact (Jpn) was, not just to Japan but to breeders worldwide, when he died at the age of 17 in 2019. Next month, a handful of his final small crop of yearlings will be offered at the JRHA Select Sale in Hokkaido. The Coolmore team was among the select number of European breeders who had mares worthy of a trip to Japan, and their globetrotting endeavours have already been rewarded with the 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior (Jpn). Now, in Snowfall (Jpn), they have a second British Classic winner bred on that same potent cross that blends the two extraordinarily dominant sires of Japan and Europe, Deep Impact and Galileo.

It should not be forgotten either that last year's Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue (Ire), is also by Deep Impact and bred in a similar fashion, being out of a sister to another Epsom hero in High Chaparral (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). And from a limited number of runners in Europe, Deep Impact also sired the 2018 Prix du Jockey Club winner Study Of Man (Ire).

For an Oaks to remember, throw in racing's Mr Showbusiness, Frankie Dettori–in theory playing the unfamiliar role of understudy to Ryan Moore aboard the race favourite Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB})–and you have all the glitz required to light up a racecourse even with a limited number of racegoers. The Queen's Stand, usually packed to this rafters for this weekend, was sparsely populated, even with most of those on track having to take refuge indoors from the ceaseless rain which turned the track into a quagmire and brought the Classic field stand-side as they reeled off Tattenham Corner.

Snowfall clearly didn't mind the rainfall as demonstrated by the menacing way she loomed alongside and swiftly overpowered the long-time leader Mystery Angel (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}). But take away the 16-length winner and the terrier-like runner-up, from the determinedly ambitious stable of George Boughey, had plenty of fancy fillies beaten, including the third-placed Divinely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-sister to Snowfall's dam Best In The World (Ire) and to the brilliant Arc winner Found (Ire). While Snowfall and Divinely would have had the Oaks on their agenda even before they were weaned, it is far to say that it was probably not a race that Noelle Walsh, the breeder of Mystery Angel, had envisaged for her filly. But Boughey has already made people sit up and take notice as he has saddled winner after winner since taking out his licence only last season, and perhaps more should have taken notice of the fact that a syndicate of a very different nature to the Coolmore triumvirate had stumped up £22,500 to supplement Mystery Angel to the Oaks line-up on Monday.

As Snowfall sailed across the line in glorious isolation, Boughey, his great pal and key form ally Sam Haggas, and girlfriend Laura Toller, roared and swung each other around as their filly fought her way home. Their celebrations were every bit as wild as they would have been for a winner, and in a way she was. For this was a massive result for the stable and for Nick Bradley's racing syndicate on a day which started with yet another impressive juvenile winner for both owner and trainer when Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {Ire}) landed the Woodcote S. on her third start.

As the Oaks presentation took place in the winner's circle, the celebratory gaggle was joined by Georg von Opel, a huge investor in some of the Coolmore syndicated horses in recent years and part-owner of the fifth-placed Santa Barbara. Just beyond them out on the track where the placed horses unsaddle, Mystery Angel was surrounded by her large, happy band of owners for a photo that will undoubtedly grace plenty of walls. Their investment would have been far smaller but their joy no less confined.

Just over an hour earlier there had been a similarly pleasing story to the Coronation Cup when Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), who had finished 11th in last year's Derby and third in the St Leger, enjoyed an official coming of age.

By the admission post-race of his co-owner/breeder Roger Devlin, Pyledriver is not as regally bred as some of those he was taking on, but he has a tenacity akin to Mystery Angel's and only temporarily surrendered the advantage he had gained when bowling into the lead halfway round, before grabbing it back from the imposing favourite Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

For his jockey Martin Dwyer, who is not among the most fashionable names in the weighing-room, it brought up a hat-trick of Epsom Group 1s that few of his colleagues can match. It has been a long time in the earning, from the day he gave the then-young Andrew Balding his first Classic success with Casual Look (Red Ransom) in the Oaks of 2003, followed by the Derby victory for Sir Percy (GB) ((Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) for Marcus Tregoning and owners Anthony and Victoria Pakenham. The Coronation Cup may not be a Classic but success will have been all the sweeter for the fact that it was the first at Group 1 level for Dwyer's father-in-law William Muir, who this year added Chris Grassick to his training licence.

Devlin shared in Dwyer's joy, and as he watched the replay of the win for the colt he bred in partnership with Guy and Hugh Leach, he said, “Primarily we're delighted for William because he's been training for 30 years and this is his first Group 1 winner. We've been in it for a couple of years and we're very grateful to William for all the effort he puts in.”

He continued, “We thought [Pyledriver] would improve as a 4-year-old. He's fairly modestly bred, like the owners, and we didn't think he had huge stallion potential so it was important for us to get the Group 1 on his CV. That's job done. I'm not quite sure where we go from here. He's entered in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot, but that might come a bit soon, and he has entries in the King George and the Arc, and he proved today he acts on pretty soft ground.”

The owners have much to look forward to as Pyledriver's 10-year-old dam La Pyle (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) has a 3-year-old filly by New Approach (GB) named Country Pyle (GB) who is set to make her debut in the coming weeks, as well as a juvenile Oasis Dream (GB) colt called Stockpyle (GB).

Devlin added, “We also have a yearling filly by Frankel (GB) and La Pyle is in foal to Kingman (GB). We took the decision to invest and we hope it pays off.”

He also remembered his late friend and advisor Kevin Mercer, the former owner of Usk Valley Stud, where Pyledriver was bred.

“If it hadn't been for Kevin we wouldn't be here today. He had the vision and the knowledge to think that the mare had it in her,” he said.

Martin Dwyer admitted after the race that he feared he could be replaced on Pyledriver by a bigger-name jockey. He said: “I love this place, I always have. I've had some great times riding here and I've been lucky. Half my worry was losing the ride on him. It's not easy when you are not fashionable and you are not riding. You will have owners own a good horse like him and then it doesn't pan out and he doesn't win.”

He continued, “The Derby was a write-off and then there are always people saying, 'why don't you use X, Y, Z as they are riding tons of winners and why are you using him as he is not high flying at the moment?' But that is sport and that is what happens so you have to really fight your corner.”

In Pyledriver he has found a fellow battler, and the pair ensured that the day wasn't only about a 21st Classic victory for one of the world's most recognisable jockeys and a 40th British Classic for the unstoppable Aidan O'Brien, who has now won this season's 1000 Guineas and Oaks with the fillies who earned their trainer a £4,000 fine for bearing the wrong saddle cloths in last season's G1 Fillies' Mile.

For syndicates from one end of the scale to the other, there was plenty to cheer about on Oaks day. There's currently an advertisement on the British racing channels aimed at improving diversity and inclusivity which has the simple catchline of 'Racing is everyone's sport'. On Friday at Epsom it certainly felt so.

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Coronation Cup Glory For Pyledriver

Only 11th behind Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in last year's G1 Epsom Derby, Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) put that sour experience firmly behind him on Friday when returning to register a career-best success in the G1 Coral Coronation Cup. Showing his class when successful in the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot and the G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York last term, the bay who races for the new William Muir-Chris Grassick training partnership had been sharpened by his seasonal debut when runner-up in the G2 Jockey Club S. at Newmarket May 1 and tracked the leader Highland Chief (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) in second throughout the early stages. Committed on the front before the run downhill into the home straight, the 8-1 chance was headed by the 7-4 favourite Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole and looked held but battled against the fence to regain the advantage in the final 50 yards. Sticking to his guns in a thrilling finale at the rain-hit track, he denied the Shadwell representative by a neck, with Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) beaten seven lengths in third. “It's great for everyone, the whole team, but on a personal level I can't describe way I'm feeling,” commented winning jockey Martin Dwyer, who was completing a trio of this venue's group 1 races having won the Oaks in 2003 and Derby in 2006. “I've got to say, there were times I have hated racing and driven home in a bad mood, but days like this make it worth it. This is a great sport and you can achieve great things, but it's been a long time between drinks for me and it's hard to get on horses as good as this. It's also hard to stay on them, with people criticising you on the outside, so I have to thank William [Muir] and the owners for sticking by me.”

Putting in his best juvenile form on soft ground when successful in the Listed Ascendant S. over a mile at Haydock in September 2019, Pyledriver returned last year to be second in the re-routed G3 Classic Trial over a mile and a quarter on Kempton's Polytrack in early June taking the King Edward VII over this trip at Royal Ascot. After his luckless trip in the Derby, he defied a three-pound penalty in style in the Great Voltigeur before finishing third in the G1 St Leger at Doncaster in September and seventh in the G1 Qipco Champion S. at Ascot in October. Showing a tendency to veer away from the whip on more than one occasion, he was hard against the rail from six out following Dwyer's bold manoeuvre and may have been helped by Al Aasy pinning him down against the fence in the closing stages. His jockey thinks so. “With the rail out [to save ground for Derby day], we were actually racing on the steepest part of the camber and so I was conscious to get to the rail,” he explained. “Jim [Crowley] growls in a finish and gave me no room whatsoever, so it was a real ding-dong battle and I have to say my horse was very brave and pulled out all stops. The first two were a long way in front of two very good horses. All the good horses are in the hands of a very few trainers now and I think that is why people like to see horses like this fella and his sporting owners as the underdog having a go on the big day and achieving something.”

“He's been frustrating at times, but he has tons of ability and was just too fresh and keen at Newmarket and got tired,” Dwyer, who at 46 was continuing the trend of older jockeys winning at the top level so far in this country in 2021. “I struggled with him there, as he was like a bottle of coke that had been shook up but today he was different class and that's all down to the team. We had decided to give him his head this time and let him bowl along and he relaxed so I tried to control the race from second place. Last time we came here, we got flattened at the top of the hill and it was game over but when you get a horse that travels as well as him it's ideal around here. I was able to give him a nice breather and save petrol in case he got into a real scrap, which he did in the end. He'd beaten horses who had gone on to win group 1s afterwards and he's mixed it at the top level a few times, so we were always confident he'd win a group 1 himself. Not many trainers drive their own horses to a group 1 in their own horsebox and win it, so all credit to William.”

For Muir, it was a first success at the highest level and he said, “I started training in 1990 and I've got touched off in group ones, with Stepper Point in two of them and also Averti got beaten in a photo in the Prix de l'Abbaye–this is what we do it for,” he said. “Chris Grassick has only been at the job five minutes and he's got a group one winner! I came here thinking he'd win. I had a meeting yesterday with the owners at a service station and we decided we were going to make the running and change the bridle. When he went to Newmarket, I was in no place to say he was 100 per cent, as today was the day and he was very brave. If you watch it from the outside people ask 'why does he wander, why does he do this and that'. It's just in his make-up, I don't know why he does it, but he is brave.”

Pyledriver's program is set in stone now. “It's mapped out–the Jockey Club Stakes, the Coronation Cup, the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and then the King George,” Muir added. “I should think we'll look at the Arc later on in the year, if we're allowed to go with Covid and everything.”
Pyledriver is the first foal out of La Pyle (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), who is a full-sister to the G3 Park Express S. winner Normandel (Fr) and a half to the G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Mont Ormel (Fr) (Air Chief Marshal {Ire}) and the dam of this week's Listed Glencairn S. winner Maganimous (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and the G3 Irish St Leger Trial-placed Micro Mange (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}). The third dam Lidakiya (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) produced the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis and G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua-winning sire Linngari (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) and is kin to the triple listed scorer and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup runner-up Livadiya (Ire) (Shernazar {Ire}). The dam's as-yet unraced 3-year-old filly by New Approach (Ire) is named Country Pyle (GB), while she also has a 2-year-old colt by Oasis Dream (GB) named Stockpyle (GB) and a yearling filly by Frankel (GB).

Friday, Epsom Downs, Britain
CORAL CORONATION CUP-G1, £330,000, Epsom, 6-4, 4yo/up, 12f 6yT, 2:42.23, g/s.
1–PYLEDRIVER (GB), 126, c, 4, by Harbour Watch (Ire)
1st Dam: La Pyle (Fr), by Le Havre (Ire)
2nd Dam: Lidana (Ire), by King's Best
3rd Dam: Lidakiya (Ire), by Kahyasi (Ire)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (10,000gns RNA Wlg '17 TATFOA). O-La Pyle Partnership; B-Knox & Wells Limited & R Devlin (GB); T-William Muir & Chris Grassick; J-Martin Dwyer. £187,143. Lifetime Record: 12-5-2-1, $514,200. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Al Aasy (Ire), 126, c, 4, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Kitcara (GB), by Shamardal. (300,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas. £70,950.
3–Japan (GB), 126, h, 5, Galileo (Ire)–Shastye (Ire), by Danehill. (1,300,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Masaaki Matsushima, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien. £35,508.
Margins: NK, 7, 1HF. Odds: 8.00, 1.75, 3.33.
Also Ran: Albaflora (GB), Highland Chief (Ire), Mogul (GB). Scratched: Alpinista (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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