Pivotal’s influence could be seen on the top and bottom of the pedigrees of several big winners across the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. The Charlie Johnston-trained DEAR MY FRIEND got the weekend off to a flier with victory in the Listed Burradon Stakes at Newcastle. He could now head on to the Gr.2 Dante Stakes at York for his owners Middleham Park Racing & Michael Lai, who are dreaming of The Derby. Once James Doyle found daylight on Dear My Friend, he stayed on strongly in the final furlong to deny Flight Plan (Night of Thunder), who himself is out of a Pivotal mare. PLEASANT JANE completed a Stakes double for her sire with victory in the Listed Prix Zarkava at Longchamp on Sunday. She has been brought along gradually by Fabrice Chappet and there could be even better to come after this black-type breakthrough.
It was also a very productive spell for Pivotal as a broodmare sire. His daughters supplied the Listed winner TENEBRISM (Caravaggio) and the Group 2 winner SIMCA MILLE (Tamayuz). These victories come hot on the heels of the Group 3 Prix Djebel victory of GOOD GUESS (Kodiac), who is out of the Pivotal mare Zykina.