Pyledriver Said To Be A Better Horse Than Last Year By Trainer Muir

Pyledriver

British trainer William Muir is excited to see what is stable star can achieve this season with Pyledriver having a superb term as a three year old and will be back for another season in May.

The now four year old was a real success story for the fairly small yard last term having made his seasonal debut in June when finishing second at Kempton, but since then improving with every run and showing he is a real black type contender.

He headed to Royal Ascot for his second start of the season and he was a shock winner of the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes.

He was given a Derby entry and went to Epsom but having being bumped in the big field early on he ran no race and as a far as Muir was concerned they drew a line through that run.

He proved how special he can be next time out when taking the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at York's Ebor meeting, being eased down in the final stages.

The St Leger was next on the agenda and with many pundits fearing he would not stay, they were proved wrong as the three year old finished a length third behind winner Galileo Chrome.

Although seeing out the marathon trip his trainer believes he is best over 1 mile 4 furlongs, but he did not give his best running on his final start of the season when only seventh of 10 in the Group One Champion Stakes at Ascot.

For Pyldriver, last term his achievements far outweighed the expectations his connections had going into the season and having been ahead of Saudi Cup winner Mishriff, they are taking the positives forward.

(Credit Racing Post) "I think he ran too well in the St Leger over a trip that might have been too far at the time and it left its mark," Muir said.

"I was told that by a very good friend of mine, Willie Jardine, who was assistant to Henry Cecil and is now a BHA starter.

"He stopped me at Chelmsford one night and said, 'Will, don't run him again'. I said, 'Why? He's bouncing'. He'd told me he'd seen plenty of horses run well in the St Leger and then thought they were fine, but ran rubbish because the Leger leaves its mark.

"Pyledriver ran flat at Ascot but finished in front of Mishriff. He's stronger now and started racing at Kempton last year off about 454kg. He finished at Ascot on 470kg and just after Christmas he was 522kg.

"He will come back down and could be close to 470kg when he races, but he just looks stronger; he's thicker and he's gone from being a gangly teenager to a man."