Top Sire Pivotal Pensioned Aged 28

England’s Cheveley Park Stud announced the retirement of their brilliant sire Pivotal (Polar Falcon-Fearless Revival, by Cozzene) at the age of 28, reports bloodhorse.com. "The story associated with the 'mighty' Pivotal is truly extraordinary, considering he was the result of the very first covering his sire, Polar Falcon, was given,” said Cheveley Park Stud's managing director Chris Richardson. He was retained as a racing prospect by the stud. “Whilst in the hands of trainer Sir Mark Prescott, Pivotal truly put Cheveley Park Stud on the map, giving owners David and Patricia Thompson their first Gr1 winner in the stud's famous red, white, and blue colors. Having covered a relatively small book of mares in his first year, his resulting progeny excelled and inspired at all levels, which they have continued to do throughout his career, both domestically and internationally.” Richardson added, “On the world stage, Pivotal has excelled as a sire, a sire of sires, and as a broodmare sire, to the highest level and all of us at Cheveley Park Stud have been so blessed to have been part of his life for 28 years. We all wish Pivotal a well-deserved and happy retirement." Pivotal stood for 24 consecutive seasons at Cheveley Park Stud, leaving 153 stakes-winners, including 32 Gr1 winners. In Australia, his progeny include the imported gallopers, triple Gr1 winner Avilius (Pivotal-Alessandira, by Sunday Silence) and Gr1 ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Addeybb (Pivotal-Bush Cat, by Kingmambo). As a broodmare sire, to date, Pivotal has 111 stakes-winners including imported Irish bred Gr1 Ranvet Stakes winner The United States (Galileo-Beauty is Truth, by Pivotal) who now stands at stud in South Africa. Pivotal’s sire-sons include Siyouni (43 stakes winners), Excellent Art (34 stakes winners), Captain Rio (28 stakes winners), Kaneko (13), Falco (10), Farhh (9). Excellent Art (Pivotal-Obsessive, by Seeking the Gold) is the sire of Gr1 winner Under the Louvre (Excellent Art-Barcelona Girl, by Noverre) who stands at Grandview Stud in Queensland.

Addeybb has won Group 1s in Australia and the UK (pic: Steve Hart)