Pivotal Ten (NZ) Turns it On in Gore Guineas

Karaka weanling graduate Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) produced one of the most dominant black-type performances of the season on Sunday, romping to a six-length victory in the $80,000 Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m).

Pivotal Ten was offered by breeders Valachi Downs during the 2022 National Weanling Sale, where owner Colin Wightman bought her for $15,000. The South Island’s filly has now had six starts for four wins and $128,550 in stakes. She has won her last four in a row.

Trained and ridden by Samantha Wynne, Pivotal Ten made a big impression in scoring back-to-back wins at Wingatui and Timaru in October and November. She led all the way in both of those races and won them by a combined margin of more than 11 lengths.

Pivotal Ten stepped up into stakes company and finished strongly from a trailing position to win the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day, and on Sunday she returned to her dominant front-running ways in the Gore Guineas.

Caught three-wide early, Pivotal Ten worked forward to take the lead before the end of the back straight.

The favourite poured on the pressure coming up to the home turn, and she blew the other 12 runners off the track in the final 300 metres to score a runaway win.

“She blew me away, to be honest,” Wynne said. “I knew she had improved at home, but you don’t know until you get them here.

“She’s really starting to switch on now. She didn’t know what she was doing before, but now she’s getting the hang of it.

“They made it hard for me, keeping me three-wide early on and we had to do a bit of work, but when we were turning in, she felt amazing. I’m so grateful to have a horse like her in the stable.

“She was definitely toey today, but she’s getting to know what it’s all about, a new track and new surroundings. She’s taken it well and I’ll look after her, making sure she gets to the next race in good order.

“I’d just like to thank the owner for the opportunity and all the staff at home, I couldn’t do it without them.”

Pivotal Ten is by the Group One-winning sprinter Ten Sovereigns out of the unraced mare Lady Woodcote (Pivotal), whose full-brother Maarek (Pivotal) won 14 races including the Group One Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (1000m) and the Group Two British Champions Sprint (1600m).

Lady Woodcote is the dam of five winners from five foals to race. Pivotal Ten’s half-sister Woodcote Lass (NZ) (Showcasing) also placed at stakes level.

Vendor	Valachi Downs
Purchaser	Mr CM Wightman (Canterbury)
Breeding	Ten Sovereigns – Lady Woodcote
Sale	Lot 1015, 2022 National Weanling Sale, $15,000
Bred by	Valachi Downs Stud Ltd