The announcement last week that leading British sire and broodmare sire, Pivotal (Polar Falcon), has been retired from stud duties marked the end of a significant era in the world of thoroughbred racing and breeding.
The chestnut, who spent his entire stud career at the Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket, is 28 years old in 2021.
Pivotal
Pivotal began his stud career standing at a fee of 6,000 pounds.
He was a lightly raced sprinter, winning four of six starts, including the 1996 Gr1 Nunthorpe Stakes and Gr2 King’s Stand Stakes.
He would go on to exert his influence on the Nunthorpe at stud, with his son, Kyllachy, winning the race in 2002 and Kyllachy’s son, Sole Power, landing the same race in both 2010 and 2014.
To date, Pivotal has been responsible for 32 individual Gr1 winners, with his progeny having enjoyed top level success around the world and over a range of distances.
Pivotal’s very first crop impressed and included US champion, Golden Apples, and Preis der Diana (German Oaks) winner, Silvester Lady.
Since then, Gr1 winners have come consistently, with Pivotal’s later stars including Sariska, Halfway To Heaven, Somnus, Regal Parade, Immortal Verse, Lightning Spear, Saoire, Falco, and Dubai World Cup winner, African Story.
African Story wins Dubai World Cup in 2014
His most recent Gr1 winner was Glen Shiel, who won the 2020 Gr1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes over another son of Pivotal, and Gr1 winner, Brando. Pivotal has also produced a top-class sire son in the form of Siyouni – France’s Champion Sire of 2020.
Siyouni – who, like Pivotal, has achieved notable success when mated to daughters of Galileo – enjoyed a huge year last year with his son, Sottsass, now standing at Coolmore, landing the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and also supplying Gr1 winners Etoile, St Mark’s Basilica, and French 1000 Guineas winner, Dream And Do.
Other sons of Pivotal to have already sired Gr1 winners include Captain Rio, Excellent Art, Falco, Farhh and Kyllachy. His Champion Stakes/Lockinge Stakes winning son, Farhh has shown considerable promise at stud, with his stud career unfortunately blighted by poor fertility.
As excellent a sire as Pivotal was, he is, if anything, shaping up to be an even more outstanding broodmare sire.
Pivotal in his racing days
To date, Pivotal has been Champion Broodmare Sire in GB/Ireland in 2017/2018 and 2019, with his daughters already responsible for a flurry of Gr1 winners. This tally includes all of Advertise, Cracksman, Hermosa, Hydrangea, Love, Magical, One Master, Rhododendron, and The United States.
Pivotal has also enjoyed success in South Africa, notably through his son, Noordhoek Flyer, and daughter, Amanee. Noordhoek Flyer won both the Gr1 Cape Guineas and Gr2 K R A Guineas of 2009-2010, while Amanee won both the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes and Gr2 KRA Fillies Guineas of her year.
Pivotal was also responsible in this country for Gr3 Poinsettia Stakes winner, Headstrong, and the useful Pivotal Blue.
Both The United States and Magical and Rhododendron’s own brother, Flying The Flag, are now at stud in South Africa, as is Pivotal’s Dante Stakes winning son, Wings Of Desire.
