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'He'll take them to places they've never been before' - PJ McDonald bullish about Pyledriver's repeat King George bid

Pyledriver winning last year's King George
Pyledriver and PJ McDonald: will bid for back-to-back wins in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on SaturdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

PJ McDonald is revelling in Pyledriver's underdog status and believes a formidable Ascot record sets him apart from his high-class rivals as he bids for back-to-back wins in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes on Saturday.

Only three horses – Dahlia, Swain and three-time heroine Enable – have been victorious in successive runnings of Britain's Flat summer showpiece, and joint-trainers William Muir and Chris Grassick hope Pyledriver can join that elite trio.

Pyledriver is set to be the highest-rated runner in the 1m4f Group 1, with an official mark of 124, and arrives in form after winning the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot following a 336-day absence. But he is a top-priced 7-1 chance in the market as Hukum and top-class three-year-olds Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel battle for favouritism.

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