Pivotal (horse)

Pivotal did not appear on the racecourse until the late autumn of 1995. At Newbury Racecourse on 19 October he started a 16/1 outsider for a six furlong maiden race and finished ninth of the twenty runners behind the Barry Hills-trained Fly Tip. Eleven days later, Pivotal recorded his first success in a six furlong maiden race at Newcastle Racecourse. Ridden for the first time by George Duffield he took the lead inside the final furlong and won by two and a half lengths from Domak Amaam.[1] In November, Pivotal was brought back in distance for a five furlong race at Folkestone Racecourse. He took the lead approaching the final furlong and accelerated clear of the field to win by four lengths in "impressive" style.[2]

Pivotal did not appear as a three-year-old until June when he was sent to Royal Ascot to contest the all-aged King's Stand Stakes over five furlongs. He started at odds of 13/2 in a seventeen-runner field which included Royal Applause and Hever Golf Rose. Duffield positioned the colt among the leaders from the start before producing a strong late run to take the lead in the last strides to win by half a length from Mind Games.[3] On his next appearance, Pivotal started favourite for the July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse but finished sixth of the ten runners behind Anabaa. At York on 22 August, Pivotal was brought back to five furlongs for the Nunthorpe Stakes. He started poorly and was "pushed along" by Duffield in the early stages but finished strongly to catch the front-running Eveningperformance in the last stride and won by a short head.[4]

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding