3 minute read
Avilius, the boom stayer of the spring, is quickly becoming the best import by noted sire Pivotal to perform in Australia.
Avilius, a 4YO gelding, is denying his paternal breeding as Pivotal was an outstanding sprinter, racing only six times for four sprint wins including a G1 double over 1000m in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
A son of the late Nureyev stallion Polar Falcon, Pivotal was bred and raced by Cheveley Park Stud and retired to the famous Newmarket nursery at the end of his 3YO season.Now 25, Pivotal has sired more than 950 winners of more than 3140 races and over $121 million.
They include 144 stakes winners including 28 G1 winners but only a dozen of his top level winners have won over 2000m or further.They include the Dubai World Cup winner African Story, English Oaks and Irish winner Sariska and German Derby winner Buzzword.
Pivotal’s sire sons include the French champion Siyouni, Kyllachi, who stands with his sire at Cheveley Park, champion miler Farhh, NZ-based Captain Rio and former shuttler Excellent Art, sire of the G1 Stradbroke Handicap winner Under The Louvre.Pivotal is also one of the world’s leading broodmare sires. He is currently leading broodmare sire in Europe ahead of Galileo with his daughters responsible for 14 G1 winners including the imported Australian winners The United States (Galileo) and Polarisation (Echo Of Light).
Frankel’s champion son Cracksman is also out of the Pivotal mare Rhadegunda, whose third dam Lore (Lorenzaccio) was a three-quarter sister to the legendary Eight Carat.The Godolphin owned Avilius took his record to six wins and three placings in 11 starts when he won the G3 Bart Cummings over 2500m at Flemington on Saturday to secure ballot exemption for next month’s $7 million Melbourne Cup (3200m).
He remains unbeaten in four Australian starts for trainer James Cummings after earlier performances in France included a Listed win at 2000m and three G2 placings including a second to Cracksman in the Prix Niel over 2400m at Chantilly.The stamina that is coming to the fore in Avilius could be credited to the great Sunday Silence, sire of his dam Alessadria.
A winner up to 2400m in Japan, Alessadria is also the dam of Saint Baudolino, a G2 winner in France and G1 placed in the French Derby and Grand Prix du Paris; Herculanus, the winner of nine races up to 1600m in Italy; and Army Bulletin, a French stakes winner.Alessadria was served by Sunday Silence in Japan before she was sent to England where she foaled Avilius.
Alessadria is from the French G3 winner and G1-placed mare Tereshkova (Mr. Prospector), also the dam of the good sire Lycius.Pivotal sired his 144th stakes winner when Laraaib won the G3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot in the UK on Saturday.