William Muir will hope last year’s Group 1 Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver can produce another excellent performance at the top level when he tries his luck in Saturday’s Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic on 1 1 /2000.

The 5-year-old won fans around the world for his rags-to-riches success story, winning several group competitions for his breeders Roger Devlin and Guy and Hugh Leach, who held the son to Harbor Watch after having failed to find a buyer at 10,000 guineas as a colt.

Pyledriver disappointed on his last start in the Saudi Arabian Cup tie last month, but Muir is pleased with what he has seen from Harbor Watch’s son since landing in Dubai.

He said: “Pyledriver has traveled well and he has trained well here. His last race was disappointing for all of us as we had gone to Arabia with high hopes as he was in great shape but put a line through as we were pulled wide that day and just couldn’t not come in and get sorted.

“However, he is in the stall on a Saturday, so we are hoping for a big race. It is very good in itself and it is better than it was in Hong Kong. Glory Vase was a very good winner and just got us in the last 100 yards.

“I think we’re going to run well to this form and Glory Vase is well imagined. It’s a very strong race, but I’m very confident in my horse.

“He was a bit of a rags-to-riches tale in that he was very cheap to raise and went straight to the top – and everyone loves a story like that. When we started training in 1990 it was where we wanted to be and it’s nice to be here.

Frankie Dettori will be in the saddle this weekend after regular rider Martin Dwyer suffered an injury last week in the UK, as Muir explained: “Martin is in pain and he realized quite quickly that he had to be professional and say he wouldn’t be. able to ride it.

“He contacted Frankie for me and spoke to him, they are good friends, so he sorted it out. I think he’s disappointed though, because you look forward to these days.