24 June 2023 , 16:52
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Pyledriver, bred for an outlay of just £5,000, took his earnings close to £2 million when returning from a year off to win at Royal Ascot.
He reduced his co-trainer William Muir to tears when he landed the £250,000 Hardwicke Stakes after 336 days off due to injury.
The six-year-old was nearly a doubt for Royal Ascot and his reappearance was billed as a pipe-opener for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which he won last year.
But he proved more than a participant as he overcame West Wind Blows, Changingoftheguard and a stewards inquiry into late interference which did not affect the result.
Muir, who trains with Chris Grassick, said: `’I thought I'd had a heart attack about half an hour ago but I think it was just indigestion.
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“This is a hell of a performance because I know how much he can improve. I’m crying. There are loads of people to thank.
“Pyledriver bit his lad [Babu Singh] today and he has got a great big haematoma on his arm, and he said it is a love bite.”
Pyledriver was bred to be a jumper but has turned into a marvelous money-spinner for the three members of the La Pyle Partnership, brothers Guy and Huw Leach and Roger Devlin, despite a number of injury interruptions.
Pyledriver winning the Hardwicke Stakes (PA)“What people don’t realise is the hours of worry and concern and the time and effort William has put into him to get him back today,” said Guy Leach.
“He didn’t sleep a wink last night just worrying about him and making sure he was going to be okay. It’s a phenomenal training performance.
“He’s said for the last month to six weeks he’s not going to be race fit, we are going here to bring him on. He thought he’d run well but that didn’t mean he’d win it.”
Speaking to ITV Racing, Devlin said: “It’s been an extraordinary journey. He’s progressed with each year. He’s had all sorts of injury niggles. We very nearly didn’t run him today, but William has done a miraculous training performance.
“It shows the viewers you can do this at home because we’ve invested £5,000 in a cover from Harbour Watch and you can see the result in front of you now.”