Pyledriver on course for Neom Cup trip

The five-year-old will head to Saudi Arabia primed and ready after regular pilot Martin Dwyer accompanied him on a spin around the London track as trainers William Muir and Chris Grassick put the finishing touches to his preparations.

Last seen finishing second in the valuable Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December, the international equine jetsetter left connections feeling happy that he is on course for his next overseas foray.

The entire son of Harbour Watch enjoyed a great time of things last year. In addition to the Hong Kong Vase second, he won two of his three other races.

Despite going down to Sir Ron Priestley in the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket's Guineas meeting in May, he bounced back with a wonderfully game effort to land the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom next time.

Freshened up after that, he added the Listed Churchill Stakes at Lingfield (1m2f, Polytrack) to his CV in November.

Looking ahead to the Neom Cup, his trainers are delighted with his current well being.

"We took him to Kempton today to let him have a blow over the surface to cover a distance of ground," Muir told a Saudi Cup press conference.

"It was just to literally get him away from home for something different and a change of scenery, to perk him up and keep him in good shape.

"The horse is in great shape. It wasn't one of those gallops you want to put a gun to his head and say 'go'. It was just to let us cover the distance.

"Martin (Dywer) rode him and when he got off he said, after riding in races there over the winter, it felt like he broke the track record."

Muir explained the reasons behind opting for the Neom Cup, over 10 and a half furlongs on turf, rather than the extremely valuable Saudi Cup over nine furlongs on dirt for last year's Coronation Cup hero.

"We had a long conversation, the owners and myself, and we are aiming to go from here to the Sheema Classic in Dubai," Muir explained.

"We felt to drop him back to a mile-one on dirt and then go back up to a mile and four would be giving different signals.

"We know a mile and a quarter on turf is fine so we thought we'd do that and then go onto the next target."