Muir waiting on scan results following Pyledriver setback

Adam Morgan
February 1, 2023 8:38 am

King George winner’s future up in the air.

William Muir faces an anxious wait for the scan results which could determine the future of his stable star Pyledriver following a new setback.

The six-year-old was last seen galloping to King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes glory at Ascot last summer, having since missed out on a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe through injury.

The long road to recovery was set to lead to a trip to Meydan for another crack at the Dubai Sheema Classic, in which he finished an unlucky fourth in last year, but a fresh problem has curtailed that plan – as well as an intended prep race in the Winter Derby at Lingfield on February 25.

“When he pulled up after a piece of work he was a tiny bit off on his near-fore,” said Muir, who trains in partnership with Chris Grassick.

PYLEDRIVER wins the 2022 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes! pic.twitter.com/7eSRfn8jJA
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) July 23, 2022

“He’s such a lovely individual who is never short or anything and we’ve just got to wait to get all the scans done and taken before we can say what we’re doing.

“I’ve spoke to the owners and I spoke to the vet and he said ‘I would forget the Winter Derby’.

“We would have been there no problem at all and the way he was going I know he hasn’t lost anything – he was in very good form.

“That is very disappointing, but we have to do what is right for the horse and we have to find out what it is.

“It’s minute, a lot of people would look at him and say he’s fine but I know him like the back of my hand and I know he was not right. When he pulled up yesterday the lad who rides him all the time said ‘Boss he just didn’t feel quite right’ and he just looks slightly off.”

With his Lingfield return off the table, Muir has also shelved plans for a return to Dubai on World Cup night and is now just hoping to receive positive news about a horse that he describes as a “special part of my life”.

“There’s no point, I’m not going to go straight there (Dubai),” continued Muir. “Those two races are gone and we basically have to see what the results tell us.

“If it is something we can cure and look after and get him 100 per cent where he’s not lost any ability then we will carry on. If we find it is something worse than that then we will have to deal with it and go on and make him a stallion somewhere.

Jockey PJ McDonald (right) celebrates on Pyledriver after winning the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“To me there is a lot of countries in the world who would love a horse like this because he’s a lovely looking individual and he’s been a fantastic racehorse with a very high rating.

“That’s the furthest thought in my mind, but I’m trying to prepare myself for it because if that is the case, then that is the case. I’m hoping we get the results back in the next few days and it says this, this and this and we can manage it fine.

“The only thing though is that comes first is the horse – that is the reason we’ll wait. You have to do what is right for these animals.

“He has been one of the best things in my training career and a special part of my life, but it doesn’t matter if it was him or the horse running at Southwell on Tuesday night, you’ve always got to do what is right for the horses.”