'We want him at his peak for the King George' - Pyledriver makes his return but Hardwicke loses Hukum clash

The Hardwicke is a Group 2 that is more often than not contested by Group 1 horses. There were two Group 1 winners in the line up again, but that was reduced to one on Saturday morning when connections declared Hukum a non-runner.

We are left with Pyledriver, who finished second to Hukum in last season's Coronation Cup at Epsom. Pyledriver went on to win the King George and ran to a Racing Post Rating of 125 over this course and distance when doing so.

Pyledriver is having his first run since the King George. Another crack at that race will be his ultimate aim.

Free Wind isn’t yet a Group 1 winner, but she has won three Group 2s over trips ranging from a 1m2½f to a 1m6½f and she beat Wednesday’s Duke of Cambridge scorer Rogue Millennium in the Middleton at York.

The extra furlong and a half here will definitely suit Free Wind and she gets the 3lb female allowance from Pyledriver. This is probably her biggest test yet, but victory here would definitely mark her down as a future Group 1 winner and the King George could be it.

Pyledriver (six) and Free Wind (five) are older than the majority of recent winners. Eight of the last ten were four-year-olds and the remainder of the field are that age. 

Deauville Legend was second in the King George V Stakes here last year and went on to land the Great Voltigeur at York. He finished fourth in the Melbourne Cup afterwards, but his highest RPR of 118 leaves him with 7lb to find. He's evidently still open to improvement.

The same comment applies to Changingoftheguard, who is even further behind on RPRs with a career-best figure of 114 and needs to bounce back from a disappointing seasonal reappearance at Chester last month. His stable weren't firing in winners regularly then.

He wouldn’t be the first Aidan O’Brien-trained runner to put a poor seasonal return behind them by winning next time. Auguste Rodin did that in the Derby and Luxembourg was another when winning the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last month.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Pyledriver 'will definitely improve for the run'

William Muir is looking forward to starting Pyledriver’s 2023 campaign, but warns his stable star won’t be 100 per cent fit.

The popular six-year-old hasn’t run since winning the King George over course and distance last July, but the Hardwicke has always been pencilled in as his starting point for the year.

“It’s been the plan all year to start him off in the Hardwicke,” Muir said. “Then it will be the King George, a run somewhere before Longchamp, the Arc, and Breeders’ Cup. We want him to be at his peak for those races in the second half of the season.”

Pyledriver makes his first start since winning last year's King GeorgeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Muir stresses that Pyledriver has done plenty of work, but lack of match practice might just find him out in a high-quality Group 2.

“When a footballer has time off he might play 75 minutes in the first game before getting tired,” Muir said. “It’s the same with horses.

“Pyledriver has done lots of work, but he will definitely improve for the run. We want him at his peak for the King George next month.”

Muir added: “The Hardwicke is always a tough race. Every race at Royal Ascot is tough. But Pyledriver has been there and done it before [won King Edward VII Stakes in 2020]. It’s an intriguing race with some really good horses who are on the improve.

“Pyledriver might just be lacking in match practice, but he is in good shape and he’ll be competitive.”

Timely form boost for Free Wind

Free Wind, winner of six of her eight races, has improved with each run on official ratings and now gets the opportunity to tackle the males.

Her Group 2 Middleton Stakes victory received a timely boost when the runner-up Rogue Millennium won Wednesday’s Duke of Cambridge Stakes and it would be no surprise to see Free Wind take another significant step forward.

Free Wind has won six of her eight startsCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Joint-trainer Thady Gosden said: “She did well to beat subsequent Duke of Cambridge winner Rogue Millennium on her return in the Middleton over a trip shy of her best.

“She's been in good form since and is expected to be effective back at this trip, although she's taking on the colts this time. She's versatile as regards ground.”

What they say

Marco Botti, trainer of Ardakan
He has been training fine at home and looks in good order. We’ve freshened him up after his three runs in Dubai early in the year. It’s a tough task for him – it looks more of a Group 1 than a Group 2. I think he’s quite versatile in terms of ground, so there should be no concerns with that, but he will need to step up another level. The Melbourne Cup is the long-term plan for him. Where he goes next will depend on how he performs in the Hardwicke.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Changingoftheguard
I suppose you could say he was a bit disappointing at Chester, but it was his first run back and the first time he had encountered that sort of soft ground too. We think he has come forward since then and he won at this meeting last year.

James Ferguson, trainer of Deauville Legend
It’s his first run back since he ran so creditably in the Melbourne Cup. He’s in good nick and has run well at the track before.

Charlie Fellowes, trainer of Grand Alliance
He’s in really good order and this race has been the plan for a long time. He has his quirks and there's no doubt he's more straightforward on a left-handed track than a right-handed one. However, he only hangs when he hits the front. The trip is fine and he's very versatile ground-wise. For a horse who doesn’t work great at home, his work recently has been really good.

Ed Crisford, joint-trainer of West Wind Blows
He won very nicely in France on his first run after the gelding operation. It’s a very competitive race, but he seems in very good form and he’s ready for the step up. We’ve always felt him to be a mile-and-a-half horse and he’s definitely been more settled and relaxed since he was gelded. This race has always been the choice for him.
Reporting by Richard Birch

Read these next:

'He's one of our big hopes for the whole week' - quotes and analysis for ultra-competitive sprint handicap 

Who will find the golden highway in red-hot handicap? Analysis and key quotes for the Golden Gates 

'We've been very happy with his preparation' - Mullins ace Stratum bids for hat-trick in closing marathon 

Do you want £200+ of free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.