Pivotal (horse)

Pivotal is a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career restricted to six races between October 1995 and August 1996 he established himself as one of the leading sprinters in Europe. His most important wins came in the King's Stand Stakes and the Nunthorpe Stakes as a three-year-old in the summer of 1996. He was then retired to stud where he became an exceptionally successful breeding stallion.

Background

Pivotal is a chestnut horse bred and owned by the Cheveley Park Stud. He was sired by Polar Falcon, an American-bred horse who won the Lockinge Stakes and the Haydock Sprint Cup in England in 1991. The colt was sent into training with Sir Mark Prescott at the Heath House stable in Newmarket. He was ridden in all but the first of his races by the British jockey George Duffield.

Racing career

1995: two-year-old season

Pivotal did not appear on the racecourse until the late autumn of 1995. At Newbury Racecourse on 19 October he started a 16/1 outsider for a six furlong maiden race and finished ninth of the twenty runners behind the Barry Hills-trained Fly Tip. Eleven days later, Pivotal recorded his first success in a six furlong maiden race at Newcastle Racecourse. Ridden for the first time by George Duffield he took the lead inside the final furlong and won by two and a half lengths from Domak Amaam.^[1] In November, Pivotal was brought back in distance for a five furlong race at Folkestone Racecourse. He took the lead approaching the final furlong and accelerated clear of the field to win by four lengths in "impressive" style.^[2]

1996: three-year-old season

Pivotal did not appear as a three-year-old until June when he was sent to Royal Ascot to contest the all-aged King's Stand Stakes over five furlongs. He started at odds of 13/2 in a seventeen runner field which included Royal Applause and Hever Golf Rose. Duffield positioned the colt among the leaders from the start before producing a strong late run to take the lead in the last strides to win by half a length from Mind Games.^[3] On his next appearance, Pivotal started favourite for the July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse but finished sixth of the ten runners behind Anabaa. At York on 22 August, Pivotal was brought back to five furlongs for the Nunthorpe Stakes. He started poorly and was "pushed along" by Duffield in the early stages but finished strongly to catch the front-running Eveningperformance in the last stride and won by a short head.^[4]

Stud record

Pivotal was retired to stand at his owners' Cheveley Park Stud at Newmarket. He has proved to be an "excellent" breeding stallion, siring winners of major races over a wide range of distances.^[5]

His best winners include:

• Kyllachy, foaled 1998 won Nunthorpe Stakes, sire of Sole Power
• Chorist, 1999 Pretty Polly Stakes
• Megahertz, 1999 American Oaks, Yellow Ribbon Stakes
• Somnus, 2000 Haydock Sprint Cup, Prix Maurice de Gheest, Prix de la Foret
• Peeress, 2001 Sun Chariot Stakes, Lockinge Stakes
• Excellent Art, 2004 St. James's Palace Stakes
• Regal Parade, 2004 Haydock Sprint Cup, Prix Maurice de Gheest
• Falco, 2005 Poule d'Essai des Poulains
• Virtual, 2005 Lockinge Stakes
• Halfway to Heaven, 2005 Irish 1000 Guineas, Nassau Stakes, Sun Chariot Stakes
• Sariska, 2006 Oaks Stakes, Irish Oaks
• Siyouni, 2007 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
• Buzzword, 2007 Deutsches Derby
• African Story, 2007 Dubai World Cup
• Izzi Top, 2008, Pretty Polly Stakes, Prix Jean Romanet
• Farhh, 2008 Lockinge Stakes, Champion stakes
• Immortal Verse, 2008 Coronation Stakes, Prix Jacques le Marois

Pedigree

References