Last year's G1 Coronation Cup victor Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) is pleasing co-trainers William Muir and Chris Grassick ahead of a title defence of that Epsom contest on June 3. The 5-year-old entire, who races for the La Pyle Partnership, won the Listed Churchill S. in November of 2021 and signed off his year when second by a length in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December. He was unplaced in the G3 Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia, but improved to fourth in Meydan's G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic on Mar. 26.
“He's in really good shape, I took him to Newbury on Sunday, he went round and worked well and just because I know where he is and I know what he does, that's why I'm really excited, not because he broke any land-speed world records,” said Muir. “I was delighted with it because he has had a break and he has come back and just shown he is exactly where he was before his other races all through the winter.
“He's looked great out the past few days and we now have to just get through the next two weeks and we will be in with a great chance. Things can change with racehorses day by day, but at this present stage he's in good form. He just did what I wanted to see, like out in Dubai and Hong Kong, he just seems to be in that sort of place.”
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