'At the ages of five and six he's really found his form' - Deutsches St Leger-bound Prydwen sailing along nicely for connections

Prydwen features in early Welsh poem Preiddeu Annwfn as King Arthur's trusted ship, and connections of the equine namesake have been on quite the voyage themselves, one which takes in Sunday's Deutsches St Leger at Dortmund.

The Camelot gelding may be a six-year-old, but he notched a career-high Racing Post Rating of 114 when winning at Killarney last month for Newmarket trainer George Scott and the Blue Starr Racing syndicate, the ninth success of his career and one which took his earnings towards £250,000.

In the Killarney Gold Cup last month he lugged 9st 11lb to victory, with Wayne Hassett reducing the burden from 10st 2lb, scoring by two and three-quarter lengths and up. Another nice win this year came on Good Friday at Newcastle on All-Weather Championships finals day, when he ran away with the Marathon by three and a half lengths. 

Prydwen was bought by Billy Jackson-Stops and Scott for €30,000 from Castletown Stud at the 2019 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, with the staying route in mind. That could pay its greatest dividend yet in Sunday's Group 3, though Prydwen and Callum Shepherd face eight decent rivals in the 140th edition of Germany's St Leger, including fellow British raider Go Daddy.

Jackson-Stops said: "He was a lovely but very backwards horse at the Goffs Orby Sale. Blue Starr Racing is a great syndicate and they always like to have a stayer in their ranks.

"He is bred on a lovely Camelot-Shamardal cross, which is the cross of Irish Derby winner Latrobe. We bought him thinking he'd be a nice horse given time, though it turned out he was very, very backwards. It took him a bit of time to get going but, at the ages of five and six, he's really found his form.

Billy Jackson-Stops: "Physically he was a really lovely frame of a horse, good width, depth and shoulder"Credit: Alisha Meeder

"Physically, he was a really lovely frame of a horse; good width, depth and shoulder. He lacked a bit of muscle at the time but he moved very well and, as said, we were looking for one who needed a bit of time and he filled that criteria perfectly."

Prydwen did not race at two and got off the mark as a three-year-old on his fourth run, in a Yarmouth handicap in October 2021. That was the first of three successive wins as he returned as a four-year-old to land two all-weather handicaps in a week at Lingfield and Wolverhampton. His fourth victory arrived later that season in a handicap at Haydock.

Two further wins at Wolverhampton came last year, when Prydwen also ran well a few times in defeat.

This year has proved his best, with those victories at Newcastle and Killarney sandwiching another success at Southwell, and he even gave his connections the thrill of lining up in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, for all that competing against Kyprios and co was a bridge too far for the 100-1 shot.

Jackson-Stops continued: "Through George [Scott], I'm still very much involved. Optimistically we aimed him at the big race at Ascot – his price reflected his chance that day and it was just too quick and intense for him. 

"He came back to life at Killarney last time under that big weight. There was a bit of a question mark about his turf form, but I think he answered that carrying that weight around there. 

"Moving on to Germany, it's all pretty exciting really."

As befits his name, Prydwen has reportedly taken his recent adventure to Ireland in his stride. 

Prydwen storms to success at KillarneyCredit: Patrick McCann

"He's got a good aptitude for that; George said when he travelled over to Ireland it was all very easy for him, that he took it all very well," said Jackson-Stops. 

While Prydwen, a half-brother to US Grade 3 winner Comanche Country and from the family of dual Derby winner Generous and the also illustrious Imagine, is one of the flagbearers for Scott and Jackson-Stops, there are also some exciting youngsters to look forward to. 

One is Saturday's Group 2 Champagne Stakes winner Bay City Roller, bought by Jackson-Stops, Scott and former owner Clive Washbourn for €320,000 at last year's Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, and now unbeaten in three starts.

The agent said: "He's a lovely two-year-old who we're really excited about, while there's also a juvenile with Tom Clover called Invictus Gold, who is two from three and who we bought fairly cheaply there last year." 

The 2024 edition of the Orby is on the horizon, with the two-day event starting a fortnight on Tuesday, and Jackson-Stops added: "It's been good to us and we're looking forward to getting back there. It's a class sale." 

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