The 4-year-old filly captured the G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Aug. 13 in her most recent start, which secured her spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November. The Sun Chariot provides a four-week lead into the Breeders' Cup.

“She's in good form and we are probably favouring Newmarket and the Sun Chariot is a possible race for her,” Richardson said. “I suppose it really depends on what she is going to do next year. If she is going to retire, I can see her going to America and retiring, but if she was to stay in training then I don't know, and maybe she will make the Breeders' Cup, but it would depend on what Mrs Thompson would like to do.”

Additionally, Cheveley Park's Group 2 winner Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) could also make the trip to California, but will have to improve off her fifth-place finish in the G2 City Of York S. on Aug. 26.

“We now know she just does not want to perform at York,” Richardson said of the William Haggas trainee. “She was in great form going in there but she was never happy.

“Tom [Marquand] came back and said she went down unhappy, was unsettled in the stalls and just took a hold and was never prepared to put her best foot forward. We've got various options and the Breeders' Cup is a thought. At the moment it is at the back of our minds when we were hoping it would be at the forefront.

“We might go back for the Listed race at Newbury which she won last year. That could be another opportunity for her.”

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It was a school holiday job opportunity, after a family Christmas at home in Northumberland, when my brother, Tim, suggested I might like to come back to France with him and spend a few weeks working at the Haras de La Verrerie in Normandy where he was the manager. My parents thought this was an excellent idea as it would help me with my French, so one snowy morning we set off in Tim's Mini Cooper and slithered our way over the snowy hills of Northumberland to France.

The biggest influence on your career?

The stallion Nureyev, Sir Philip Payne-Gallwey and my brother, Tim, who, in 1980, when I was working at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, called to ask me to return to France to look after Nureyev upon his retirement from racing. He stood at Haras de Fresnay Le Buffard for one season, before going to stand at Johnny Jones's Walmac Farm in Kentucky. Tim gave me a wonderful opportunity, the result of which allowed me to meet my wife Annie and then, thanks to Sir Philip, I ended up managing Spring Oak Farm (Oak Tree Farm) in Lexington, Kentucky.

Favourite racehorse of all time, and why?

Nijinsky most impressed me winning the Derby in 1970 and then to have helped out and been around him during my time at Claiborne in 1980 was so very special.

Who will be champion first-season sire in 2023?

I would love to see Cheveley Park Stud-bred Advertise be champion first-season sire, as I feel he ticks all the boxes on pedigree and performance having won three Group 1 races.

Greatest race in the world?

Having been involved with several owner-breeders who have mostly bred fillies to race, the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe would be the race for me, as it usually brings the best colts and fillies together to crown the racing year in Europe.

If you could be someone else in the industry for a day who would it be, and why?

Edmond Mahony, as I would love to know the inner workings of the hugely successful Tattersalls Limited Auction House.

Emerging talent in the industry (human)?

It is wonderful to see so many young trainers and agents getting involved in the industry and I feel the next generation are coming to the fore. I think Sam Haggas will prove a great innovator in the business.

Horse TDN should have made a Rising Star, and didn't?

Triple Group 1 winner Inspiral.

Under-the-radar stallion?

Of course, I have to say Ulysses, who is beautifully bred and who has really started his stallion career tremendously well having had Classic-placed Piz Badile, winner of the G3 Ballysax S., and runner-up in the G1 Irish Derby. In addition, Cheveley Park Stud's homebred Holloway Boy winning first time out in the Chesham S. at Royal Ascot for his connections proved Ulysses can get smart 2-year-olds as well as Classic prospects.

Friday night treat?

A quiet supper for two at Sticks 'n' Sushi before a West End show.

Guilty pleasure outside of racing?

Fly fishing for trout when the mayfly are hatching with my trusty 9′ CC de France split cane fly rod.

Race I wish I had been there for…

The Cheltenham Gold Cup when A Plus Tard won this year. I could not believe I lost my voice and then tested positive to Covid-19 on the Monday morning of Cheltenham week.

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When Royal Ascot comes around, it is generally the case that the contenders for the major events are already well into their stride and up into that hardened state that can only be achieved with racing experience. Like Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) on Thursday, Inspiral was forced to enter the heat of competition with just homework as a foundation and there was an air of vulnerability surrounding her that would have been unthinkable last term as she toyed with her peers at Newmarket and Doncaster. Her poise and demeanour in the parade ring said otherwise, however, and the market was saying that the Spring's great mystery was about to be stripped away.

As soon as the gates opened, it was as if the realisation that she was racing again took a second to dawn on her and by that time more than half the field were into their business with the 200-1 outsider Rolling the Dice (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) penning her in towards the back. On the home turn, Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) who had not gone as fast on the front end as had been expected, had a yawning seven-length advantage over the favourite and with just two behind there Frankie looked in trouble again. Applying one smack with the whip approaching two out, he got a ruthless response from Inspiral whose gear change was almost audible as she swooped on Discoveries before swamping Spendarella a furlong later. All anxieties subdued there, her devouring stride and undiminished appetite for domination took care of the rest. Her last two splits were 11.27 and 11.62 and her final three furlongs were completed in a rapid 35.01, much faster than Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) managed in the G1 Commonwealth Cup.

“It took a long time for Inspiral to come to hand and John gave her the time she needed, then in her last couple of works she told us she was good to go,” Dettori said after steering his 77th Royal Ascot winner and one of his most welcome. “It was a question mark if she had trained on–she had pleased us, but we were still unsure. It didn't work out on Lord North, things didn't go right for Stradivarius, we were touched off in the Britannia and the colt [Reach For the Moon] was odds-on. I had the outsider in front of me and I had to avoid her, but I took the chance with the split and you need the horse to do that. She really took off, to the point that I was able to enjoy the last 50 yards for once!”

John and Thady Gosden were getting off the mark for the week and Gosden Sr said, “There was an element of relief at the furlong pole and surprise at the line. I asked Frankie coming in and he said we could go a mile and a quarter with her. Frankie didn't over-complicate, which he did yesterday but that's over, it's the past and we move on. You have races like the Nassau at Goodwood or you could go for the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville. She will meet the older horses now, but she does get weight from them which helps.”

Graham Motion, who had finished second in the race with Sharing (Speightstown) behind another Dettori-partnered seasonal debutante in Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) in this two years ago, was delighted with the performance of Spendarella. “She ran great–I could not be more proud of her,” he said. “William [Buick] had her in the perfect spot, she was very brave to hang on for second I thought. The winner's very good. She'll go back to the States now. I don't come over here just for the hell of it. We've run second a couple of times now, so I feel like I know what it takes. We don't have many opportunities in the States, which is kind of why this race made sense, this early in the season, and I think she's really a miler so we didn't miss out on much in the States.”

There was to be no family treble for Discoveries, who just held on from Tenebrism (Caravaggio) to manage a placing in the race her full-sister Alpha Centauri (Ire) won in similar style to Inspiral in 2018 and in which her aforementioned half-sibling Alpine Star followed suit in 2020, but Jessie Harrington was typically upbeat. “I am absolutely thrilled with Discoveries. She reversed the form from the 1000 Guineas and ran a great race,” she said. “The winner is obviously a very special filly, but I am delighted with our filly.”

As well as placing in this, Starscope was also second in the 1000 Guineas and retired as one of her Stud's more promising broodmares. Responsible for four winning foals so far, they also include the Listed Cocked Hat S. third Celestran (GB) (Dansili {GB}) while her fifth is a yearling colt by Siyouni (Fr). The second dam Moon Goddess (GB) (Rainbow Quest) also produced the Listed Rosemary S. winner Solar Magic (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and is a daughter of the Listed Sweet Solera S. winner Mystic Goddess (Storm Bird). Also second in the G3 Queen Mary S. here, she threw the leading sire Medicean (GB) (Machiavellian) whose victories included the G1 Eclipse S., G1 Lockinge S. and G2 Queen Anne S. This is also the family of the G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. winner Mondreise (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}).

Friday, Ascot, Britain
CORONATION S.-G1, £500,000, Ascot, 6-17, 3yo, f, 7f 213yT, 1:39.20, g/f.
1–INSPIRAL (GB), 128, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Starscope (GB) (MG1SP-Eng, $251,626), by Selkirk
2nd Dam: Moon Goddess (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Mystic Goddess, by Storm Bird
O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £283,550. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 2yo Filly-Eur, 5-5-0-0, $862,797. *1/2 to Celestran (GB) (Dansili {GB}), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Spendarella, 128, f, 3, Karakontie (Jpn)–Spanish Bunny, by Unusual Heat. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. ($220,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Gainesway Farm; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd (NY); T-Graham Motion. £107,500.
3–Discoveries (Ire), 128, f, 3, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Alpha Lupi (Ire), by Rahy. O-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd; B-The Niarchos Family (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. £53,800.
Margins: 4 3/4, NO, NO. Odds: 1.88, 9.00, 11.00.
Also Ran: Tenebrism, Cachet (Ire), Honey Girl (GB), Sandrine (GB), Pizza Bianca, Mangoustine (Fr), Prosperous Voyage (Ire), Grande Dame (GB), Rolling The Dice (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

Just watch Inspiral (Frankel, @JuddmonteFarms) winning the G1 Coronation S. on repeat! pic.twitter.com/tINepBfCvz

— TDN (@theTDN) June 17, 2022

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The decision was made after the filly was ridden in a key workout by Frankie Dettori over the weekend and the news was revealed by Cheveley Park's Chris Richardson on Monday.

Richardson said that it was the recommendation of joint-trainer John Gosden to go straight to Royal Ascot and bypass the Curragh this weekend.

He explained, “She's not going to Ireland. John's recommendation is let's go straight to Royal Ascot for the Coronation Stakes.”

Richardson added, “Frankie had a sit on her on Saturday and just felt we needed a little bit more time, so we'll give her that and hopefully have her cherry-ripe and spot on for the Royal meeting.”

Inspiral, unbeaten in four starts as a 2-year-old, with that brilliant juvenile campaign culminating with G1 Fillies' Mile glory at Newmarket, was also ruled out of the 1,000 Guineas last month with Richardson explaining at the time that the filly had not been “100 per cent straightforward” in the spring.

In her absence in Sunday's Irish equivalent, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Dermot Weld's Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), herself having skipped Newmarket and more recently ParisLongchamp, are general 5-2 joint-favourites.

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“John Gosden had an in-depth discussion with the boss, Mrs. Thompson, and following that, it was decided that, sadly, she would miss the 1000 Guineas,” Richardson said on Sunday.

“John Gosden feels she wasn't really ready for the race and when you receive that advice from a trainer such as John, you follow it and now we'll look to the [G1] Coronation S. at Royal Ascot [on June 17] as part of her programme.

“It is disappointing for all concerned, but we must heed their advice. Royal Ascot is a favoured meeting of the Thompsons and we've had success there previously, it's the start of the year and we've still got lots of opportunities going forward.”

Also out of the 1000 Guineas is Saeed Al Tayer's Group 2 heroine Zain Claudette (Ire) (No Nay Never). A winner at second asking, the chestnut ran out a narrow victress of the G3 Princess Margaret S. at Royal Ascot last June. Sent to York for her next outing in August, she stalked and pounced to win the G2 Lowther S. by a measured length, prior to an unplaced run in the wake of likely Guineas favourite Tenebrism (Caravaggio) in the G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket.

“We've brought her back to training and she is very well, she had some very good races last year,” said trainer Ismail Mohammed. “She is not going to the Guineas, we've pulled her out. We will have so many options for her, so we will see where to go with her.

“It could be Royal Ascot, there are many races for her. I want to find at least one good race for her over seven furlongs before we go for a mile.”

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Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud, said, “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. Thankfully, as a yearling, it was decided to retain him to race, rather than offer him for sale, as we did with the other yearling colts by Polar Falcon that year. 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 Group 1 winner in the stud's famous red, white and blue colours.

“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. 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.”

Bred by David and Patricia Thompson out of another homebred, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained dual winner Fearless Revival, Pivotal joined the Sir Mark Prescott ranks in 1995 when, as detailed by Richardson, he was kept back from the yearling sales.

“Pivotal was a very interesting horse because he was big and awkward and clumsy as a yearling,” recalled Prescott in an interview with the TDN's Emma Berry last November. “He was the first covering of his sire and he was the first foal of his mother. And neither ever did as good again.”

Prescott recalled the first time he saw Pivotal at Cheveley Park Stud.

“I can see the field now actually, and there standing in the corner was Pivotal: wet, and bedraggled, and heavy,” he said. “He fell off the box when he came here but the first time we worked him, he absolutely flew. And it was a complete shock; normally you've got an idea.”

Pivotal broke his maiden at second asking in October of his 2-year-old campaign by 2 1/2 lengths going six furlongs at Newcastle. As referenced by Prescott, Pivotal would only once more go that far, when off the board behind Anabaa in the 1996 G1 July Cup, but that lone blip at three was bookended by victories in the G2 King's Stand S. and G1 Nunthorpe, enough to earn him champion sprinter honours.

“Sir Mark put him on the map,” said Richardson. “He broke the all-age track record at Folkestone and he gave the Thompsons their first Group 1 win in their Cheveley Park colours, which was obviously very special to have a homebred colt do that.”

Pivotal returned to his birthplace to take up stud duties in 1997, standing for £6,000. He would dip to £5,000 in years three through five but would never again stand for less than five figures following his first season with 3-year-olds. That first crop would come to number nine stakes winners and three Group 1 winners headed by Cheveley Park's Kyllachy (GB), who emulated his sire with a Nunthorpe win before joining him at stud, while Golden Apples (GB) won a trio of Grade Is in America. Another multiple Grade I-winning mare in America followed in the next crop in Megahertz (GB), and by the time that Cheveley Park-bred won the 2005 GI Yellow Ribbon S. for Bobby Frankel, Pivotal's fee had climbed to £65,000. That is because the likes of triple Group 1-winning sprinter Somnus (GB), G1 Sun Chariot and G1 Lockinge S. winner Peeress (GB) and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas scorer Saoire (GB) had continued to boost his stock.

Among those to follow shortly thereafter were the G1 Sun Chariot S., G1 Nassau S. and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Halfway To Heaven (Ire); G1 Pretty Polly S. and G1 Prix Jean Romanet victress Izzi Top (GB); G1 Dubai World Cup winner African Story (GB); dual Oaks scorer Sariska (GB); G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and G1 Coronation S. winner Immortal Verse (GB); G1 Champion S. and G1 Lockinge S. scorer Farhh (GB); G1 Deutsches Derby winner Buzzword (GB); G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere scorer Siyouni (Fr), his heir apparent at stud; and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Falco (GB).

If there is one trend among the aforementioned Group 1 stars, it is that there aren't many: the Pivotals soon proved their ability to win the best races in any country, on any surface and at nearly any trip, and to maintain their ability over many seasons. This is perhaps best exemplified by his 2014 crop, his last large crop, which included two of his best-ever runners in Addeybb (Ire)-the winner of the three Group 1s in Australia and Ascot's G1 Champion S. over the past two seasons at ages six and seven–and Avilius (GB), who won three Group 1s Down Under ranging from a mile to a mile and a half in 2019 at the age of five. Pivotal's 2014 crop also included Glen Shiel (GB), winner of the G1 British Champions Sprint S. last year at age six, and runner-up in the same race this year.

Pivotal, who stood for as much as £85,000, has sired 157 stakes winners, 89 of those group winners and 32 Group 1 winners. He has sired stakes winners at a rate of 11% of his starters, and those have come in 12 different countries. Beginning with his 2015 crop, Pivotal began covering greatly reduced numbers, but prior to that he averaged 8.5 stakes winners per crop. Pivotal was eight times the leading British-based sire by individual winners in a calendar year, and was twice the leading British-based sire by earnings.

It didn't take long, either, for Pivotal to establish himself as an extraordinary force as a broodmare sire, with no greater example than the aforementioned Halfway To Heaven, whose three stakes winners include the prolific Group 1-winning daughters of Galileo (Ire), Rhododendron (Ire) and Magical (Ire). Another blue hen daughter of Pivotal among the Coolmore broodmare ranks is Beauty Is Truth (Ire), who is responsible for the Group 1 winners Hydrangea (Ire), Hermosa (Ire) and The United States, all by Galileo.

Pivotal is likewise the broodmare sire of Love (Ire) and Cracksman (GB), both standouts of their generations, as well as American turf champion Main Sequence, standout sprinter and young sire Advertise (GB), triple G1 Prix de la Foret victress One Master (GB), G1 Commonwealth Cup winner and young sire Golden Horde (GB) and French Classic winners Olmedo (Fr) and Precieuse (Ire) among many others. Pivotal's daughters have produced 26 Group 1 winners, the most recent of those, appropriately, being Immortal Verse's 2021 G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Tenebrism (Caravaggio). Pivotal was champion European broodmare sire in 2017 and 2019, and his daughters have supplied 127 stakes winners, 74 of those group winners.

Seven of Pivotal's sons have sired Group 1 winners, with the most prolific of those being the Aga Khan's French-based Siyouni, whose six Group 1 winners include the generational leaders St Mark's Basilica (Fr), Sottsass (Fr), Laurens (Fr) and Ervedya (Fr). With the first two now in their formative years in the Coolmore stallion barn, Pivotal's sireline looks short odds to live on.

“He has had a fantastic life, but it is a sad day,” Richardson said. “It is hard for everybody here. The stallion handler, John Rice, has looked after him for all these years, day and night, and has slept next door to him. So it is very hard for everybody here. It is like seeing somebody for 20 years every day–they become really close friends.”

The Pivotal story is not yet finished being written, either.

“Of his last crop of foals, we have two fillies and a colt, and from the last crop of 30 mares he covered in 2020, he got 15 in foal,” Richardson said. “There are around 10 foals born this year, that we will look forward to seeing perform. We are fortunate that around 75% of our broodmare band has a Pivotal influence.”

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Sacred, second in a trio of key juvenile events in 2020 for trainer William Haggas in the G2 Queen Mary S., G2 Lowther S. and G2 Flying Childers S., won the G3 Nell Gwyn S. and the G2 Hungerford S. this season over seven furlongs. On her only other run, she was seventh in the G1 1000 Guineas.

Cheveley Park Stud Managing Director Chris Richardson said, “We've decided not to go. We would have got our ground, but she's a very special filly, and Mrs Thompson took the view she's staying in training next year, and we didn't want to travel her. If all is well, and she's still in competitive heart, we will consider it as a 4-year-old. She's back here [at Cheveley Park Stud] for her holidays. Let's hope she develops physically and we can stretch her to a mile, which would be good. We'll see how we get on. The programme is a little easier for those fillies.”

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German pinhooker Philipp Stauffenberg enjoyed his best ever return in a sale ring when the No Nay Never sister to the Group 2 Coventry Stakes winner and G1 Dewhurst Stakes second Arizona was knocked down for 825,000 guineas to Cheveley Park Stud's Chris Richardson. The daughter of the English Channel mare Lady Ederle is also a sister to the Grade 2 winner Nay Lady Nay and was secured by Richardson after he saw off Juddmonte Farms' Simon Mockridge. She was a €260,000 foal purchase.

Richardson was stood alongside Patricia Thompson, the owner of Cheveley Park, and her son Richard.
“She was the one we really wanted,” said Mrs Thompson. “She is a beautiful filly and she was first on the short list. We were looking for a filly for the broodmare band, we will get her broken in and make some plans.”
The Stephen Sullivan-bred bay filly was purchased by Philipp Stauffenberg as a foal for €260,000 and hails from the family of Champions Dabirsim and Sea of Class. Explaining his reasoning behind his purchase last autumn he commented;

“I bought her because she is an outcross and would be attractive for the big farms, and that was exactly what the case was. She was a top horse for every breeder, it didn't matter who. But she still needed to be a good physical, otherwise I wouldn't have bought her.

“The racecourse is the primary goal, today is just one step. Hopefully she will prove that she is worth what Cheveley Park have spent. It is wonderful that Mrs Thompson goes on and spends something like that. This is not a filly in training Mrs Thompson will have to wait for her, it is a future investment and it is very encouraging for the industry.”

He added: “All the sales companies wanted to have her, but she has done so well I think she deserved to be in the top sale, this is the top sale.”

Juddmonte Farms' Simon Mockridge didn't have to wait long after the missing out on the top lot of the day, striking to secure the Dubawi filly out of the Group 2 winning Monsun mare Logina for 800,000 guineas. Newsells Park Stud consigned the filly on behalf of breeder Al Shahania Stud.

“We were strong on the No Nay Never filly, but not strong enough,” said Simon Mockridge. “This is a very, very nice filly, by Dubawi who for us is a great outcross for the longer term for stallions such as Kingman and Frankel. But she is also a great free moving filly, who showed very well.”

Of plans for Juddmonte, Mockridge continued: “The positive news is that Prince Khalid's family want to continue to develop Juddmonte and we need to buy some outcross fillies, and that is the reason why we are here. The No Nay Never and this Dubawi filly fitted the bill perfectly.

“It has been a tough year, a very difficult year losing Prince Khalid, but the family is committed and is showing that it is committed to the future. The Prince left us with a great legacy and it is there for us to drive forward. It is fortunate in that we have a very strong stallion base, we are very fortunate to have Frankel and Kingman. That is number one, it keeps us going, and we just need to refresh a little bit.

“Fillies like these are very rare and very difficult to buy, you have to be competitive, and I think we have been that.”

Julian Dollar of Newsells said: “We have five lovely horses for the draft from Al Shahania Stud. They have been with us for ten weeks, we have just put a bit of polish on them. They came looking fantastic, produced by a good team. They deserve all the credit, they are very good horsemen.”

Bertrand Le Metayer, bloodstock advisor for Al Shahania who was at Tattersalls with stud manager Arnault Leraitre, said: “The team on the farm in France has done a great job, it is an honour to get such a result with a filly. She has been brilliant from the word go – she goes to sleep, gets up, goes to sleep. She has a great mind and she showed it today. That is what caught the buyers' eyes.

“We thought she was our best yearling and deserved the best sale.”

The top priced colt on the opening day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale was the Lope de Vega colt out of the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio winner God Given, who was knocked down to Godolphin's Anthony Stroud for 725,000 guineas.

The colt, who was consigned by the Player family's Whatton Manor Stud on behalf of Andrew Stone's St Albans Bloodstock, is out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Postponed and is a great grandson of the Champion race filly Bianca Nera.

“He moved extremely well, he is very light on his feet and he behaved very well here,” said Stroud. “He is out of a very good mare from the family of Postponed, whom we know well, and Lope De Vega we like very much. We think he is a very nice horse.”

Ed Player of Whatton Manor said: “We are delighted to have horses nice enough to come to Book 1, we have always aspired to have horses for Book 1.

“Andrew Stone of St Albans has entrusted us with God Given, we had Bianca Nera at the farm a long time ago and it has come full circle. We are absolutely delighted with the price, he is such a good walking horse, he walks for fun and he has not put a foot wrong here.”

“God Given is at the farm and she has a Dubawi colt foal and she is back in-foal to Siyouni. She is a beautiful mare, we are lucky to have her. The team has done an amazing job prepping the horse so well and shown him so well here,” added Player.

Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

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“That [Commonwealth Cup] is the wish at this point in time,” said Cheveley Park Stud Managing Director Chris Richardson. “We thought that she didn't stay in the Guineas. The Commonwealth Cup is a tough race, but it's the logical race for her.

“She was the last off the bridle at Newmarket, in fairness–she just ran out of puff. We think she's come on well for the experience, and William is pleased with her, so we'll roll the dice.”

Another Cheveley Park colourbearer, the two-for-two Potapova (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is a possible starter in the G1 Coronation S., also at Royal Ascot. The bay Sir Michael Stoute trainee broke her maiden at first asking over seven furlongs on the synthetic at Chelmsford on Nov. 26 and returned on May 17 to pick up another novice win going that trip in her turf bow at Redcar.

“We haven't made that decision yet,” he added. “That is what I would favour personally, but Sir Michael is playing his cards close to his chest, so we'll see.

“I know that he rates this filly very highly. She did take a while to come to herself last year, but obviously she has come earlier [this year] and she has plenty of potential, which we've already witnessed.

“We can't commit [to the Coronation] just yet, but I'm hoping she might turn up there. She's got plenty of talent and she's one that we can bring along gradually–and I'm sure she'll keep improving.”

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The 28-year-old son of Polar Falcon has been a stalwart and flagbearer at Cheveley Park Stud since his retirement to stud in 1997.

Bred and raced by Cheveley Park Stud, he was trained by Sir Mark Prescott. A track record breaker as a 2-year-old, he was crowned champion sprinter as a 3-year-old, with the undoubted highlight coming in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, when prevailing by the narrowest of margins to become the first Group 1 winner to be both bred and owned by Cheveley Park Stud. Prior to that he had shown all his battling qualities and tenacity in winning the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Pivotal took up stallion duties at an initial fee of £6,000, and immediately proved popular with commercial breeders. He was a leading British based first season sire, and soon sired his first British Group 1 winner in Kyllachy, who followed in his father's footsteps in winning the Nunthorpe Stakes, before also retiring to stand at Cheveley Park Stud. Pivotal went on to quickly rise through the stallion ranks and was leading British-based sire by individual winners on no less than eight occasions, and was twice crowned leading British-based sire by earnings. To date Pivotal has sired 32 individual Group 1 winners, including the classic winners Sariska, Halfway To Heaven, Falco, Buzzword and Saoire, as well as Dubai World Cup winner African Story, and most recently a Group 1 brace on QIPCO British Champions Day with Addeybb and Glen Shiel winning the Champion Stakes and British Champions Sprint Stakes, respectively .

Already Pivotal's legacy is starting to live on through both his sons and daughters. He was crowned champion European broodmare sire 2017 to 2019, and his daughters produced the Group 1 winners Love, Magical, Golden Horde and One Master last season, as well as multiple Group 1 winners Cracksman and Advertise in recent years. He is also making an impact as a sire of sires, with seven of his sons having sired Group 1 winners to date, most notably Siyouni with last season's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe victor Sottsass and Dewhurst Stakes winner St Marks Basilica.

A true legend in his own lifetime, the 'mighty' Pivotal will now enjoy a happy retirement at Cheveley Park Stud, where he will see out the rest of his years.

Managing director, Chris Richardson, said; “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. Thankfully, as a yearling, it was decided to retain him to race, rather than offer him for sale, as we did with the other yearling colts by Polar Falcon that year. 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 Group 1 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. 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. I think Triple Crown winner, Isinglass, whose stable Pivotal occupies, would have been very proud and we all wish Pivotal a well-deserved and happy retirement.”

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