Leading English sire Pivotal was represented by his first winner in Australia on Sunday, just hours before his champion filly Sariska completed the English Oaks – Irish Oaks double at the Curragh.
Fareer (2c Pivotal – Alqwah by Danehill) is raced by Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Estates and he railed up in the straight to win by a short head in the Bidvest Maiden Plate (1300m) at Cranbourne yesterday. He is trained by David Hayes and sports the same colours that have won Melbourne Cups for Lindsay Park with At Talaq and Jeune.
Pivotal (Polar Falcon) has been a leading light in Europe for many years but his Australia-NZ sire sons have been restricted to Westbury Stud success Captain Rio.
Coolmore has finally recognised the sireline by shuttling his St James Palace Stakes (G1) winner Excellent Art out here this year.
Sariska (3f Pivotal – Maycocks Bay by Muhtaraam) won the Irish Oaks under double wraps to emulate Alexandrova, the last filly to land the Oaks double in 2006. Owned and bred by Lady Bamford, the Pivotal filly will now head to the Yorkshire Oaks (G1) on August 20.
Sariska’s classic triumphs have cemented Pivotal’s place as England’s most reliable source of high-class racehorses.
Raced by his breeder Cheveley Park Stud, Pivotal was trained in Newmarket by Sir Mark Prescott and was a G2 winner of the 1996 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot before adding the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
Pivotal was retired to Cheveley Park Stud to stand alongside his own sire Polar Falcon and has developed into much more than merely a sprinting stallion. He has sired numerous high-class winners up to middle distances and, in total, his record includes 65 stakes winners and his winners salute at a 65% strike rate.
He started stud life at a 6,000 pound service fee but is now priced at 65,000 pounds (AUD135,000).