Group 1 winners Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) and Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) are two of the 16 nominations for the Feb. 25 £100,000 G3 BetUK Winter Derby at Lingfield.
Last seen winning the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S., the William Muir and Chris Grassick-trained 6-year-old has been on the bench since that victory. He claimed the 2021 Listed Churchill S. over 10 furlongs at that track, defeating fellow Winter Derby entry Harrovian (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}).
John and Thady Gosden's Lord North was runner-up in the 2022 Winter Derby to Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}). He then tied with Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Dubai Turf in March, before running off-the-board in a trio of Group 1s–the Tattersalls Gold Cup (fourth to Alenquer), the Prince Of Wales's S. (fifth to State Of Rest {Ire} {Starspangledbanner [Aus]}), and the Eclipse S. at Sandown in July, where he was fourth to Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}).
Another signed on for the Winter Derby is Charlie Johnston's Living Legend (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who won the G2 Jockey Club S. in 2022. He was most recently second in the G2 Princess Of Wales's S. in July.
Trainer Charlie Johnston said, “We have given Living Legend a BetUK Winter Derby entry and he has also been nominated for the Amir Trophy in Qatar, which takes place the week before.
“Plans are fluid at the moment. We would ultimately love to take him back to Newcastle for the Easter Classic, although with the way the programme book has fallen this year, it is going to make it difficult to qualify unless we win the Winter Derby.
“The Magnolia S. and Finals Day were three weeks apart last year, whereas this year it is only a six-day gap due to Easter falling earlier, which makes having three qualifying runs very difficult.
“There is plenty to think about and we will decide whether we go for the Winter Derby or take up the Qatar option nearer the time.”
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