3 minute read

William Muir and Chris Grassick’s stable star Pyledriver (7/2) returned to action with Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes success, but connections were made to sweat following a steward’s enquiry.

The 2021 Coronation Cup winner had been off the track since landing the 2022 King George over course and distance just under a year ago.

Quickening conditions saw Owen Burrows' well-fancied Hukum deflect from the contest in a race that dramatically changed complexion.

Frankie Dettori would have been hoping the 6/4 market leader Free Wind could help him edge the gap with Ryan Moore in the race to become Royal Ascot's leading jockey for the week, but the filly never really looked like winning and ultimately finished a disappointing fourth.

Jamie Spencer went out in search of back-to-back Group race success and took the field along at a sensible gallop under West Wind Blows. The pair kicked rounding the final bend and looked to have something up their sleeve with a few furlongs to run but the challengers soon loomed, and it was Pyledriver, who had travelled exuberantly throughout that picked up best entering the final furlong. However, that hardly tells the whole story as Pyldriver began to hang left-handed. PJ McDonald corrected his mount, but Pyledriver instantly dived back right towards the rail and caused interference to both West Wind Blows and Changingoftheguard.

The stewards took a look at the replay footage, but Pyledriver was a length and a quarter clear at the line and the placings remained unaltered.

West Wind Blows finished runner-up with Changingoftheguard third and the luckless Deauville Legend back in fourth having received no run up the inside rail.

Winning co-trainer William Muir said: "I know how much this horse will improve. Yes, he rolled around, but he was on fumes. There are loads of people to thank. The lad who looks after him, Pyledriver bit him today and he has got a great big haematoma on his arm, and he said it is "a love bite".

"Jeta, who rides him, told me after his last piece of work that we were back to where we were before the Sheema Classic. I knew he was a class horse, and I knew he would be competitive – he never knows when to chuck it in, but I did think match fitness might catch us out.

"He rolled around in the St Leger, and 'they' said it was Martin Dwyer, he is not a good jockey – I tell you Martin is a great jockey and made this horse what he is today.

"We will see how he is tonight, tomorrow, the next day – but the King George will be next all being well. This is what we dream to have horses like this. The owners were offered fortunes for him as a three-year-old, and they have been so loyal to the horse."

It was a first Royal Ascot winner for McDonald, who said: "Pyledriver is a horse that when he hits the front, he always runs around. I thought when I came on the outside, he'd be okay but, when I gave him a dig one side, he's lugged one way and then the other. It just goes to show how much ability he has that he's not concentrating on running in a straight line. I straightened him up each time, but I think he's a very comfortable winner and I don't think anyone can take it away from him.

"I haven't sat on this horse since last year's King George – the lads just said you keep away, you're better off not complicating things. And what a performance to get this fella back today.

"I think they had him pretty fit. Today was only ever a starting point moving forward to the King George, so to get the win under his belt is a massive bonus. We have a superstar horse, I just need to keep him in a straight line!

"This is Royal Ascot… I'm 41 years of age and I've been coming here a bit, but you need a good horse coming here. There's no point unless you have a good animal – whatever happens now I'm a Royal Ascot winner!"

Ed Crisford said of West Wind Blows: "He ran an absolutely super race. I think there you can say he definitely stays a mile-and-a-half, because there's always been these question marks, but he kept running true to the line there. I would say that's his career-best performance and he really showed himself, up against some of the best horses over this trip."