Investec Derby: William Muir and Pyledriver hoping to finish fairytale story at Epsom next weekend on biggest stage
THE rags to riches story of William Muir’s Pyledriver shows no sign of slowing.
And the best chapter could still be to come as the pair head to Epsom for a Derby like no other.
The horse couldn’t have cared less that he went unsold at the sales as a youngster when beating £3.4 millions worth of Mogul in the King Edward Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The old saying goes that horses don’t know when they’ve won. But this lad is racing like he knew no one fancied him at the sales – he’s proving them all wrong.
And his trainer has never considered him an underdog in the first place.
Lambourn-based Muir told Sun Racing: “He went into that race at Ascot with a big, big shout in my book. We’ve always thought plenty of the horse.
“Obviously we didn’t know how good Aidan O’Brien’s were going to be.
“I took two there and thought they both had winning chances. So when Jack’s Point finished second I thought I hope this isn’t how it’s going to be.
“But then we couldn’t have asked for anything more. Pyledriver did us all proud and delivered.”
Delivered was an understatement. He scooted home by two lengths in a quicker time than Oaks hotpot Frankly Darling.
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All talk quickly moved to the Derby, the biggest race of them all on the Flat.
And somehow Pyledriver still finds himself a bigger price for the Epsom showpiece than horses he beat fair and square at Ascot.
But in any normal season Muir would have missed out. Forking out the £85,000 supplementary fee is not viable for a yard with only 30 horses.
Muir has been training for 29 years, but yet to have a runner in the Derby or win a Group 1. Pyledriver could achieve both in the space of five minutes.
Muir said: “Had it been a normal year, he wouldn’t have been running as there’s no way we’d be able to supplement him for the silly money it is.
“But the owners don’t need any encouragement for us to go to Epsom, they’ve been trying to convince me for months!
“They’ve turned down heaps of money for him since and are now living the dream.
“He’s going to keep getting stronger and stronger and he just keeps thriving.
“I’d always said, if he’s a miler he’s going to be a nice horse, if he gets a mile-and-a-quarter he’ll be a Group 3 horse, if he gets a mile-and-a-half he could be anything.
“And that’s what we’ve found. He’s got the temperament for it and is a pleasure to deal with.”
Plenty of the build-up to the Derby has centred on the jockey bookings after Frankie Dettori ‘jocked-off’ Tom Marquand on Ed Walker’s favourite English King.
But there’s no chance of that in the Pyledriver camp. The Derby is set to be a family affair and Muir would be brave to get rid of Evertonian Martin Dwyer – his son-in-law.
Muir laughed: “Would I change Martin? Not a chance!
“The owners love Martin, I love Martin. Martin has ridden Derby winners, he’s ridden Oaks winners so I won’t be changing. He’s my son-in-law as well so I wouldn’t be very popular if I even tried!
“We’re only a small little team and people are probably still forgetting us. We’ll stick to what we know as it’s worked well so far.”
The owners may have turned down plenty of cash for Pyledriver since his exploits on the track, but behind the scenes they are beginning to reap the rewards.
Muir explained: “They put him in the foals sales just in case and they put a ten grand reserve on and they never really thought they’d get that anyway.
“Even if they’d only put a five grand reserve down I don’t think they would have got a bid.
“He’s by a very unfashionable sire in Harbour Watch and it just shows you, you just never know in this game.
“They bred this horse and they’ve still got the mare. So we’ve got the family coming through now too.
“I’ve got one by New Approach and there’s an Oasis Dream yearling that will come in next year.
“And then after that they’ve been to Frankel and now she’s in foal to Kingman. It’s some story hey… they’ve just upgraded and upgraded!”
But the tale isn’t finished yet. There’s the small matter of the Derby to go, and Pyledriver can write his name into racing folklore next weekend.
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