Two of the more unlikely racing journeys of recent years converged here on Saturday as Pyledriver and PJ McDonald, 18-1 outsiders in a six-strong field, powered home two and three-quarter lengths clear of Torquator Tasso, last year’s Arc winner, in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Pyledriver was bred by his three owners from La Pyle, who was bought to race over hurdles but failed to win any of her four jump starts for Philip Hobbs.
Sent to the stallion Harbour Watch, who did not race after his juvenile season, she produced Pyledriver as her first foal. He won his first race at 50-1 in July 2019 and racing’s public and professionals alike have, for the most part, continued to underestimate him ever since.
McDonald, meanwhile, set out in racing as a jump jockey, and won the Scottish Grand National at Ayr in 2007 on Hot Weld. He has enjoyed a Classic success and several more Group One wins since turning to the Flat, but the biggest win of his career, as he was quick to acknowledge afterwards, arrived only because Martin Dwyer, Pyledriver’s regular rider, has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury. As a result, it was McDonald, the only jockey apart from Dwyer to have won on Pyledriver in the past, who was perfectly positioned behind the pace-setting Westover and Broome as the runners turned for home on Saturday.
A furlong later, the race was effectively over, as McDonald had seized his moment and driven into a clear lead that the strong-staying Pyledriver was never going to surrender. Torquator Tasso, last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, stayed on to finish nearly three lengths behind him in second, while Mishriff, who missed the kick badly and was still last turning in, was another eight lengths away in third.
Westover, sent off as the 13-8 favourite, was “much too free” at the head of affairs according to Colin Keane, his jockey, though the Irish Derby winner’s backers might argue that Keane seemed happy enough to match strides with Broome from an early stage.
But that should take nothing from the latest – and, so far, greatest – success of Pyledriver’s career. Trained by William Muir – Dwyer’s father-in-law – and Chris Grassick, the five-year-old has now won seven of his 17 starts but only once as favourite, while five of his victories have come at double-figure odds.
Ayr: 1.00 Tatterstall 1.35 Stormy Pearl 2.10 Sixcor 2.45 Spacer 3.20 Tilsitt 3.55 Samuel Spade 4.25 Jet Set Go
Newton Abbot: 1.50 San Giovanni 2.25 Get Back Get Back 3.00 Jony Max 3.35 Clearance 4.10 Dindin 4.45 The Galahad Kid
Windsor: 5.30 Spring Bloom 6.00 Al Dasim 6.30 Indestructible 7.00 Flamenco Fan (nap) 7.35 Special Envoy 8.10 Sanitiser (nb) 8.40 Baez
Ffos Las: 6.20 Made Of Lir 6.50 Symbol Of Hope 7.25 Tamilla 8.00 Precisely 8.30 Lady Madonna 9.00 Indemnify
While the betting market remained sceptical, Muir arrived at Ascot in no doubt that his horse would run a big race, and he will now plot a route towards a run in the Prix de l’Arc De Triomphe at Longchamp in October.
“I’ve thought for the last two weeks that we’d win it,” Muir said. “He was just showing everything at home, all the signs. When they went hard [in front], they set it up, because he was going to come home harder.
“I was through the crowd like a leveret [when he hit the front], I knew a furlong out that it was all over and they weren’t going to catch him. And PJ said he went again. He’s an animal, he’s a beast when he’s ready, and I knew he was ready.
“He’s going to the Arc, we made the plan last year. I don’t know if he’ll need a race in between. If Martin comes back, he’ll ride him, and PJ knows that, but if he doesn’t, PJ won’t get shipped off.”
Chelmsford: 1.00 One Mor Olly, 1.35 Miyagi, 2.10 Time Step, 2.45 Emperor Spirit, 3.20 Shifter, 3.55 Son Of Red, 4.30 Ford Madox Brown.
Uttoxeter: 1.20 Free Chakarte, 1.55 Gulliver Collonges, 2.30 Astroman, 3.05 Ruthless Article, 3.40 Mulberry Hill, 4.15 Hereditary Rule, 4.50 Andapa, 5.20 Getaway Cory.
Pontefract: 1.45 Mrs Trump, 2.20 Lenny’s Spirit, 2.55 Highwaygrey, 3.30 Corinthia Knight, 4.05 Modern News (nb), 4.40 Wilkins, 5.15 Imperial Khan (nap).
Pyledriver is 16-1 (from 66-1) for the Arc with Paddy Power, while Desert Crown, unraced since winning the Derby in June, is the new favourite for European racing’s autumn showpiece at 4-1.
“I feel so sorry for Martin, because these horses are so hard to come by,” McDonald said. “I know what will be going through his head right now, but he’s been such a gent and helped me out so much for the last week.
“For me, these are days that you don’t think are going to happen. This has come to me by luck and someone else’s misfortune, but that was as smooth as it could have been, he’s gone through the race like a knife through butter.”
