William Muir | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pyledriver Gets Gutsy Win In Churchill Stakes At Lingfield Park

Pyledriver was the headline act at Lingfield Park in Lingfield, England, this afternoon and duly delivered with a gutsy success in the Listed Betway Churchill Stakes over 10 furlongs, one of two Fast-Track Qualifiers on the card.

Joint-trainer William Muir had urged caution in the build-up to the race given it was Pyledriver's first outing since winning the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs in early June.

Sent off the 6/4 favorite under Martin Dwyer, Pyledriver raced enthusiastically behind front runner Fox Tal before launching a strong challenge on the home turn. The four-year-old held a slender advantage passing the furlong pole and stayed on gamely to repel Harrovian by half a length. Felix was a neck further back in third.

This success sets up Pyledriver for an international campaign, with next month's G1 Hong Kong Vase his next port of call, and also guarantees his place in the £200,000 Betway Easter Classic on Finals Day.

Muir said: “Pyledriver has never let anybody down. He wasn't fit today and we brought him here purposely to improve from it.

“Silvestre [de Sousa, rider of Fox Tal] wanted to go on and we got the perfect sit behind him. Martin said the gears our lad showed when they turned in…he was gone, and then he just got tired late on.

“He was 12 kilograms over his racing weight coming here today. It was the same at Newmarket at the start of the season, but I wasn't worried he got beat that day because I knew he would improve. He has just given 7lb to race-fit horses and he wasn't fit. It was a hell of a performance.

“Hong Kong is our main target and then beyond that, we are looking at the Saudi Cup and the Dubai Sheema Classic. Why not have a go at the Saudi Cup? They reckon it is the nicest dirt track in the world. Ted Voute said it's a fantastic surface and reckons this horse will love it.”

Dwyer said: “Pyledriver was a bit full of himself but that is to be expected after a lay-off. I was delighted with him. He traveled lovely and showed a good turn of foot off the bend.

“It worked out nicely with Silvestre making the pace and going a pretty decent lick. He is an exuberant runner this fella and I preferred to sit a few lengths off the leader rather than right behind him.

“He had a bit against him today, down in trip under a penalty. I think he was only 80 percent fit, but this is a great stepping-stone to the big races.

“I chased him round the bend after the line because I wanted him to get something out of it. He has to go a mile and a half on the turf next in a month's time. I wanted him to take his jacket off and do a bit of work today, so it means we don't have to do tons with him between now and his next race.

“He is a Group 1 winner and a Group 1 horse. A lot of people have been following this horse over the last couple of years. He won on his debut at 50/1 and has been a real success story for his owner-breeders and the whole team.”

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Group 1 Winner Pyledrive To Prep For Hong Kong In Saturday’s All-Weather Churchill Stakes

Pyledriver is the headline act in a quality renewal of the Listed Betway Churchill Stakes at Lingfield Park on Saturday, Nov. 13, one of two Fast-Track Qualifiers on the card.

The popular 4-year-old reappears for William Muir & Chris Grassick having been sidelined since registering a first Group 1 success in the Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs in June, for which he must concede a 7lb penalty to his nine rivals.

Pyledriver is the 7/4 favorite with Betway as he prepares for a foray to Hong Kong next month, with the Marco Botti-trained Felix next in at 4/1. Felix was second in the G3 Betway Winter Derby over the course and distance in February prior to an excellent third behind Lord North in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan on Dubai World Cup Night.

David Loughnane is hoping last year's winner Dubai Warrior can rediscover his best form after finishing last on his debut for the stable in the G3 Diamond Stakes at Dundalk in September. Previously trained by John Gosden, Dubai Warrior captured this race impressively 12 months ago as well as the 2020 Betway Winter Derby.

Loughnane said: “Dubai Warrior disappointed us first time out at Dundalk. He has been in good form since and needs to take a step back in the right direction.

“We have gone for the eye shields. He has tried them on at home and they seem to have benefited him. We can probably ride him a bit differently – get him to relax – and hopefully he can finish off strongly.”

A classy line up also includes the Andrew Balding-trained Fox Tal. The five-year-old was fourth in the 2019 G1 Champion Stakes and ran one of his best races this year on the All-Weather when a close third in the G3 September Stakes at Kempton Park.

John & Thady Gosden have two contenders in Doncaster conditions race winner Harrovian and Kestenna, who steps up in trip after finishing fifth in the Listed Coral EBF Fleur De Lys Fillies' Stakes at the track last month.

Unexposed 3-year-old Cu Chulainn moves up in class after winning a Kempton Park novice race on his second start. Three-time All-Weather winner Via Serendipity, Dalanijujo and Quemonda complete the field.

The winner of the 10-furlong Betway Churchill Stakes will be guaranteed a start in the £200,000 Betway Easter Classic over the same distance at Newcastle on Finals Day.

Betway Churchill Stakes – Betway prices:
7/4 Pyledriver
4/1 Felix
5/1 Harrovian
15/2 Fox Tal
9/1 Via Serendipity
12/1 Cu Chulainn
16/1 Dubai Warrior, Kestenna
20/1 Dalanijujo
40/1 Quemondo
Each-way 1/5 1,2,3

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A place on Finals Day is also up for grabs in the Listed Betway Golden Rose Stakes over six furlongs, a Fast-Track Qualifier for the £150,000 Betway All-Weather Sprint Championships.

All eyes will be on Mark Johnston's runner The Last Lion as he returns from a 1,876-day absence following fertility issues at stud. Now a 7-year-old, The Last Lion was last seen out in the G1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in 2016, when he defeated future champion sprinter Blue Point to give jockey Joe Fanning a first Group 1 victory.

A closely matched field of 12 also includes the last two winners of the Betway Golden Rose Stakes in Good Effort and Judicial, trained by Ismail Mohammed and Julie Camacho respectively.

Exalted Angel posted successive career-best performances over the course and distance last season, taking out the Listed Betway Kachy Stakes in February before going down by a head to Summerghand in the Betway All-Weather Sprint Championships on Finals Day.

Trainer Karl Burke said: “Exalted Angel is really well after a summer break and has been working nicely.

“He clearly handles the track well having put up to good performances at Lingfield last season – it's just a question of whether he is wound up enough to repeat those performances. I am not quite convinced, but he should run well all the same.

“We have saved him for another All-Weather campaign and the main aim is to get him qualified for Finals Day. The fact the final is now at Newcastle is not a problem because he has run well there before.”

There is an international element courtesy of Irish raider Harry's Bar, who is a three-time winner at Dundalk for Ado McGuinness, and Manjeer for French handler Carina Fey.

Misty Grey, a close third behind Exalted Angel in the Betway Kachy Stakes on his latest start, and lightly raced three-year-old Bahrain Pride are other contenders to note.

Betway Golden Rose Stakes – Betway prices:
7/2 Good Effort
6/1 Harry's Bar, Misty Grey
8/1 Bahrain Pride, Judicial
9/1 Exalted Angel
10/1 Fivethousandtoone
11/1 Manjeer, The Last Lion
12/1 Soldier's Minute
16/1 Jouska
20/1 Bimble
Each-way 1/5 1,2,3

Betway's Chad Yeomans said: “It looks a fascinating renewal of the Betway Churchill Stakes, with Group 1 winner Pyledriver the horse they all have to beat. He is the 7/4 favorite with us, which could look a big price in hindsight as he's clear on official ratings.

“The Betway Golden Rose Stakes is also fiercely competitive. Last year's winner Good Effort is solid at the head of the market at 7/2. It's also great to see Betway ambassador Andrew Balding sending Fivethousandtoone to the six-furlong contest. Andrew thought he was a Guineas horse at the start of the season, so it's interesting to see him at this level.”

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Pyledriver On Track For Hong Kong Bid

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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German Target Possible For Pyledriver

Group 1 winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), who won June's G1 Coronation Cup, is under consideration for the Nov. 7 Grosser Preis von Bayern at Munich, according to co-trainer William Muir. The 4-year-old entire has been out of action since a minor setback ended planned starts in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot and in York's G1 Juddmonte International S.

“I'll let him tell me when he's ready,” said Muir, who trains with Chris Grassick. “After York I said I wouldn't set more targets and we'd just go easy for 10 days and trot for a couple of weeks. I'm just going to take my time, it's something minor but I want him to heal properly and not have any scars in his mind.

“He's jumping out of his skin at the moment, he's so fresh and well. I would say the first race we could think about looking at is on Nov. 7 which is the last Group 1 in Europe.”

A winner of the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot in 2020, Pyledriver put an 11th-place run in the G1 Derby firmly in the rearview with a win in York's G2 Great Voltigeur S. last August. Third in the G1 St Leger at Doncaster on Sept. 12 and seventh in the G1 Champion S., he was second in the G2 Jockey Club S. on May 1 in his first start of 2021.

Muir added of the La Pyle Partnership runner, “I'm not saying we are definitely going, but it's something we could look at before he went to Hong Kong. I just want to give him all the time he needs because we could start him back and if he was still feeling it he would accommodate for it and pick up a problem somewhere else.

“Basically he's in wonderful form, he's like a raging bull, but we're tip-toeing along. He's had his break and then we can see where we go.”

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