'He'll be back' - Muir encouraged by Pyledriver condition as he plots path to King George

The spring was well and truly back in William Muir's step on Tuesday when he mused on plans for stable star Pyledriver, whose latest setback is not as serious as he might have initially feared.

Muir hoped to run the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes hero at Lingfield this month before a trip to Meydan for the Dubai Sheema Classic on March 25, but a problem with his near-foreleg emerged recently and connections faced an anxious wait as vets determined the extent of the injury.

Thankfully for Muir, who trains in partnership with Chris Grassick in Lambourn, the issue is one they can overcome.

"The vet says it's really good news because we've got the inflammation down and there were no tears, holes or snags – nothing," he said. "The vet said it's just a matter of time and treatment.

"The vet was in this morning because he wanted to see him trot up and he was 100 per cent sound and he's on no medication. He scanned the leg and said it looked fantastic – absolutely superb. It's much more encouraging and the vet says he'll be back.

"He said we could crack on if we wanted, but – because he's such a good horse – suggested we do it patiently and properly. With time, he didn't think we'd have a problem with him."

Pyledriver, who runs in the colours of the La Pyle Partnership, also won the Coronation Cup in 2021 and, beyond a return trip to Ascot this summer for another dart at the King George, October's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a chief target.

"We'll do what's right for him because he's been great for us," Muir added. "He's not stopped; he's been on the horsewalker and in the spa each day. We'll start riding him by the end of March and he'd be running some time towards the end of May or in June.

"The King George is one of our main aims and things went wrong when we missed the Arc last year, but we might be spot on this time, so we won't use too much petrol early. I'm thinking on the hoof, but he could have one run before the King George and then another before the Arc, which is another big goal.

"After the setback, you thought it could be the end of his career, but it's not."

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