Hayley Turner Thinks Pyledriver Is The Ascot King George Value

This Saturday’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot is being billed as one of the races of this flat season and it’s not hard to see why with at least six big fancies. With that in mind, the SportsLens team have spoken to top lady rider Hayley Turner to get her idea of the winner.

Pyledriver The Value-Call In Saturday’s King George For Hayley Turner

With the last two Epsom Derby (Desert Crown & Auguste Rodin) and Coronation Cup (Emily Upjohn & Hukum) winners, plus recent Royal Ascot hero King Of Steel heading to post in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes this Saturday – you really can make a case for them all.

Between those five they’ve won over £4.5m in total prize money but if we add PYLEDRIVER to the mix too – the horse that won the King George last year – then his career earnings of £1,989,960 dwarf the rest.

This William Muir and Chris Grassick-trained 6 year-old has raced all over the world in his 19 career outings – winning 8 – and the last of those successes came just last month in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot (watch below).

Pyledriver also won the King George last season as an 18/1 shot (watch below) and four-time Royal Ascot winning jockey Hayley Turner thinks he can succesfully defend his title this Saturday.

Of the six main players he’s looking likely to be the best value and after speaking to Turner on Tuesday she told the SportsLens team she was impressed with his latest Ascot win that came after almost a year out.

In fact, the recent victory was his first run since taking the King George by 2 3/4 lengths last season so is sure to have also come on a bit for Saturday’s big Group One race.

The best UK horse racing bookmakers are making Plyedriver 7/1 for King George glory, with the Epsom Derby first and second Auguste Rodin (7/2) and King Of Steel (3/1) the first two in the market.

Pyledriver Is 3-from-3 Over 1m4f At Ascot

Pyledriver will be looking to become the first ‘back-to-back’ King George winner since Enable in 2019 and 2020 and also join the likes of Swain (1997/98) and Dahlia (1973/74) as return winners.

There are also reports of some rain heading the Ascot way this weekend, but Pyledriver has winning form on soft and also good-to-soft ground so this shouldn’t be an issue. The current going at the Ascot course is described as good-to-soft.

Jockey PJ McDonald has also been booked to ride Pyledriver again – he’s 2-from-2 on the horse and was on his back in the race 12 months ago. While from four runs at Ascot, last year’s champ has only lost once which came over the shorter 1m2f trip in the Champions Stakes.

But having won his other three outings at Ascot over the King George trip of 1m4f, this means he’s heading into Saturday’s race 3-from-3 over this distance at the Berkshire track – another plus for the Hayley Turner’s horse racing tip in this race.

Pyledriver Career In Numbers

• Runs: 19
• Wins: 8
• Top 3 Finishes: 13
• Group One Wins: 2
• Ascot Form: 1-7-1-1
• Career Winnings: £1,989,960

WATCH: Pyledriver Winning The 2023 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes

20223 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Betting Odds

We take a look at the latest 2023 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes betting odds from BetGoodwin.

• King Of Steel @ 3/1
• Auguste Rodin @ 7/2
• Hukum @ 7/2
• Emily Upjohn @ 5/1
• Desert Crown @ 6/1
• Pyledriver @ 7/1
• Luxembourg @ 16/1
• Westover @ 20/1
• Deauville Legend @ 20/1
• Adelaide River @ 25/1
• 33/1 Bar