Pyledriver: 'He was no 66-1 shot - they had £20 each-way and I had £10 each-way'

Fans' Favourites is a weekly feature in the Racing Post Weekender in which we talk to those closest to racing's most popular horses and find out why they tug on our heartstrings. This article was first published in May and has been republished after Pyledriver's magnificent victory in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes.

It might sometimes be difficult to believe with the same stables dominating, but fairytales do still exist on the Flat and the story of Pyledriver is proof.

Owners Guy and Hew Edwards had limited success in syndicates before purchasing La Pyle to race over hurdles. She beat just five horses home in her five starts for Philip Hobbs before she was retired.

Group-race success for her siblings Normandel and Mont Ormel buoyed the brothers to breed from her. They chose to send her to Harbour Watch, whose covering fee was just £7,500 at the time, and the sire was pensioned after standing for just five seasons.

The resulting foal was sent through the Tattersalls December foal sale in 2017 and failed to fetch a reserve of just 10,000gns, with many unenamoured with his sire.

The colt, who grew up in the same field at Usk Valley Stud as another Group winner by Harbour Watch in Baron Samedi, would take his owners and joint-trainer William Muir on a once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Muir, who trains in partnership with Chris Grassick, was there from the very start, regularly visiting the stud, and he recalls the "absolute lunatic" La Pyle. He was approached to train Pyledriver soon after his appearance in the sales ring and now trains the three other members of the same family.

"Two sons of Harbour Watch in the same field, who would have thought they’d turn out to be as good as they are?" he muses in the office at Linkslade Stables in Lambourn, his voice competing with the snoring dog under his desk.

"I thought he was a long-legged foal with long pasterns. He was a few days old, he was called Dave and he's been Dave ever since because his owners named all of them after people from Only Fools And Horses.

"He was very easy to break, he's always been easy to ride and to train. He just never liked anything near his ears and only three of us can put his bridle on, that's just his little quirk."

One of Pyledriver's other quirks – and there's no endearing way to put this – is that he bites. Devoted groom Babu has the scars, one of which is fresh from this morning, to show for it. A brief pat over the stable door is tolerated but visitors are warned not to push their luck.

Pyledriver at home in his box with his devoted groom Babu

He stands proud as his rugs are removed, lean, lithe and practically glowing with health as the sunshine peeks through his box and into the corner of Lambourn that has been his home for five years.

His relatives are dotted around the yard and his trainer discusses their similarities and differences in turn. Country Pyle is a similar model, if slightly plain, Stockpyle shares his brother's dark coat but is built more like a sprinter, while newest arrival Shagpyle isn't spectacular to look at but settles in a soft spot as the most appreciative of the attention.

Pyledriver wins bragging rights for being the first of his family to win on his debut – both Country Pyle and Stockpyle could only manage second – and from the start he had to defy underdog status.

Bookmakers made him a 50-1 chance for his debut over seven furlongs at Salisbury in July 2019, when he was partnered with regular-rider-to-be Martin Dwyer for the first time, and although Muir says he isn't a gambling man, he admits the odds on offer were too good to resist.

"I said to the owners when we went out to the paddock 'you can't not back this horse each-way, he shows us enough at home, he's no 66-1 shot'," he says. "They had £20 each-way and I had £10 each-way. He stormed home and that was the start of the journey."

Each step of that journey has involved patience, which is something of a dirty word in many racing circles these days. It was first required in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket, when Muir suspected the horse had lost his strength after winning the Ascendant Stakes at Haydock.

"From the start, Martin just looked after him because we knew we were building for this part of his career," he says. "He was never going to be a two-year-old or an early three-year-old."

Pyledriver was drawn wide on his first appearance as a three-year-old in the Classic Trial at Kempton, where he finished a staying-on second, and attentions were turned to Royal Ascot for the King Edward VII Stakes.

"His work was unbelievable," Muir says. "Chad, my travelling head lad, was with me and we got into the paddock. I looked at the horses because no-one else was around because of Covid and I said 'that one doesn't look good enough, that one isn't right.' I knew he was a certainty."

Once again the odds were against Pyledriver as he was sent off an 18-1 chance. Once again, he defied them. Held up by Dwyer, he improved stylishly into the race, hit the front travelling strongly into the straight and saw out the race powerfully.

William Muir leads Pyledriver back in at a near-empty Ascot after winning the King Edward VII StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

With the Derby pushed back a month due to the coronavirus pandemic, Muir readied his charge for Epsom but it wasn't to be. He was buffeted around shortly after the start and couldn't recover as Serpentine ran away from his rivals from the front.

After Muir successfully persuaded the owners to go to York instead of a Group 1 contest in Germany, Pyledriver set the record straight in the Great Voltigeur, marking himself out as one of the best three-year-old colts.

He was sent off 9-2 for the St Leger but floundered in the final stages to finish third to Galileo Chrome and Berkshire Rocco.

Muir says: "Martin said on the day [after the Voltigeur] he'd rather drop back to a mile and a quarter, rather than go up to a mile and six, because this horse isn't slow. It was just his class that got him third in the St Leger. He rolled all over the place because he was a car running on empty."

Pyledriver returned as a four-year-old and after a pipe-opener in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket, he was once again sent to Epsom in the hope he would return with the yard's first Group 1 prize in the Coronation Cup.

"Everyone was saying Al Aasy was unbeatable but I knew he'd have to be on his A-game to beat our fella," the trainer says.

"We wanted to jump out and go but one horse was going even faster so we let him go, then he tried to slow it up going down the hill so we went on. That was a great tactical ride and ever since then we've ridden him forward. He really stuck his head down and battled."

Pyledriver battles to victory against Al Aasy in the Coronation CupCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

It was a personal best for Pyledriver and confidence was high as connections targeted the King George.

"I've never seen a piece of work like it," Muir says. "We worked with a seven-furlong Group 1 horse from Charlie Hills's yard. He just sat behind him, went alongside and then flew past.

"He came back and he bucked and kicked and slipped over in his box and injured himself. I thought he would have had the biggest chance in the King George. He worked phenomenally well."

The Pyledriver team regrouped and decided to target the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December, with a run in Lingfield's Churchill Stakes beforehand.

Muir says: "When we were in Hong Kong we were really excited. We thought we were there with a massive chance and he ran a massive race.

"It was a very special run. It was so different, there were very few people there because of Covid and we had this little area for me and the two lads. We were stood outside in the sand ring and he was rearing and I thought if he gets loose he'll be down the dual carriageway.

"I could see we were in a great position and when he took it up I thought 'go on, son, it's all over, we're going to win this' and then the Japanese horse Glory Vase came wide and late. I think if Pyledriver had been able to see him he could have fought back.

"We had a fantastic experience and I'd love to return there at the end of the year and when Hong Kong is back in normal circumstances."

Glory Vase mows down Pyledriver in the Hong Kong Vase at Sha TinCredit: Hkjc

The turbulent tale of Pyledriver took another turn when he travelled to Saudi Arabia to contest the Neom Turf Cup in February. Muir and Babu were struck down with Covid so were unable to travel and Dwyer's flight plans were disrupted.

They then drew the widest stall in 14 and despite starting well, Dwyer was forced to use up too much petrol early on and his mount weakened to finish 11th.

Nevertheless, Pyledriver's international journey ploughed on to another of the sport's lucrative prizes when he lined up to contest the Sheema Classic at Meydan in March under Frankie Dettori.

"Everyone wrote him off in Dubai but when we were there I knew this horse was in great form," Muir says.

"Frankie said he just didn't get the splits and he should have won. He said if Martin wasn't right, he'd definitely ride him in the King George. I said 'well, I'm going to the Coronation Cup first' and he said he'd ride him in it as well."

From speaking to Muir it becomes clear just how staggering it is that Pyledriver remains at Linkslade for his fourth racing season, such are the offers his owners have had.

Yet it is where he remains, sprightly and charismatic as ever following an "absolutely sensational" recent racecourse gallop at Newbury.

Pyledriver: the centre of attention at Linkslade Stables

"We've had massive offers," Muir says. "After Royal Ascot it was massive, but the owners said no. It was the same before Saudi and this agent rang me and told me I was an idiot.

"Is he paying for himself? Yes. Is he making racing fun? Yes. The owners have never had a horse like him. He's a Royal Ascot winner, an Ebor meeting winner, we've been to the St Leger, Hong Kong, Dubai, Epsom. Everything's been a great journey.

"I told Hew and Guy, he's by a very unfashionable sire yet just look at what he's done. You may never breed another one as good. These are the sort of horses that give people who are coming into racing a chance."

Flat racing may at times be dominated by an elite few, but Pyledriver's rags-to-riches tale proves there is still room for romance in the sport and everyone wants a piece of it.

Muir says: "When we were in Hong Kong all anyone wanted was photos of Pyledriver. We were out on the course and everyone was asking 'Is that Pyledriver? Where's Pyledriver?'

"Everybody in Dubai loved him. Everywhere I go in racing people say 'How's the big horse? How's the good horse?' There's a lot of staff out there who know him. I get texts from loads of travelling head lads from big yards saying 'well done'.

"Joe Tuite said to me on the gallops this morning 'there's the best horse in Lambourn' and I said 'how'd you know that?' and he said 'because when there's a good horse everyone knows who he is'."

There can't be many Group 1 horses who are chauffeured to the racetrack by their trainer, but come Coronation Cup day you can guarantee Muir will be driving the lorry, nerves jangling with each bump in the road.

"I've got silly little superstitions," he says. "I like to drive him to the races as I go every time with him. I follow him out on to the course and when they canter away I feel I've done my job.

"I can't speak afterwards because I shout so loud. That's never changed. If we're ever going to have a horse this good we've got to shout and tell everybody about it and run around like a lunatic."

Read other Fans' Favourites . . .

Starman: 'His only fault as a racehorse was his enthusiasm for the opposite sex'

Sire De Grugy: 'The whole racing world acknowledged us - it was special'

Trueshan: 'He can quicken after a long way and just power away, it’s relentless'

Denman: 'He could pick you up and chuck you out the box or take your arm off'

Desert Orchid: 'People thought it was an act of lunacy to run over three miles'

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