Pivotel Ten (NZ) Stunning in Southland Guineas

Karaka weanling graduate Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) continued her dominance of three-year-old racing in the South Island with an extraordinary eight-length runaway in Saturday’s $120,000 Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1400m).

It was the third consecutive Listed victory for Pivotal Ten, who has now had a total of seven starts for five wins, a second and $197,550 in stakes. She was bought by her owner Colin Wightman for $15,000 from the 2022 National Weanling Sale.

Pivotal Ten burst on to the scene with back-to-back wins at Wingatui and Timaru in October and November, outclassing her opposition by a combined margin of more than 11 lengths.

She 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, then led all the way and blew her rivals off the track by six lengths in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) on February 2. But her performance at Ascot Park on Saturday was even more dominant.

Again sent forward to the lead by her trainer and jockey Samantha Wynne, Pivotal Ten began to up the ante coming down the side of the track. It soon became clear that the other 12 horses in the field had absolutely no response.

The Southland Guineas turned into a one-act affair down the home straight as Pivotal Ten went further and further in front, going on to win by a dazzling eight and three-quarter lengths. She ran the 1400 metres in quick time, clocking 1:21.70.

“I am just delighted and very lucky to have a horse like her,” Wynne said. “You can’t buy this feeling.

“She is still only learning as she is trucking along and getting to know her racing, so she might even improve from here.

“I’ve got my eye on the Wellington Guineas (Group Two, 1400m) as long as she is happy and healthy. If someone called about the NZB Kiwi (1500m), we would have to consider it. You would be mad not to, and we would be proud to represent the south.

“I’m not sure we know just what grade of horse we are up to beating, but we will know more when she gets to Wellington.”

Pivotal Ten is building a high-class pedigree page. She 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