Pivotal hits 30 top-flight winners as Siyarafina strikes in Prix Saint Alary

Siyarafina etched her name onto a roll of honour that already includes the likes of Halfway To Heaven, Immortal Verse, Izzi Top and Sariska by becoming a Group 1-winning daughter of Pivotal with a decisive success in the Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint Alary at Longchamp on Sunday.

The three-year-old becomes the 30th top-flight scorer by Cheveley Park Stud's stalwart sire, who, at the grand old age of 26, is in the midst of his 23rd consecutive covering season.

Despite his advancing years, Siyarafina is the second new Group 1 winner sired by Pivotal in 2019, following Avilius's success in the Ranvet Stakes and Tancred Stakes for Godolphin in Australia.

The impact of Pivotal's daughters was also felt at the Curragh on Sunday as Hermosa, who is out of the Group 2-winning Pivotal mare Beauty Is Truth and by Galileo, followed up her Newmarket Classic success in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas.

Pivotal is also the damsire of Magical, winner of the Tattersalls Gold Cup who is out of Halfway To Heaven and also by Galileo.

Pivotal has proved no less adept at siring top-class colts too, with his Group 1-winning sons including African Story, Brando, and Lightning Spear. He has also sired sons who have gone on to excel at stud including Farhh and Kyllachy.

Pivotal is also responsible for sire sensation Siyouni, who shares his breeder, the Aga Khan, and pedigree with Siyarafina, as Sunday's winner is out of Siyenica, a Listed-winning Azamour half-sister to the Haras de Bonneval resident.

PIVOTAL'S STUD CAREER IN NUMBERS

232Stakes performers
85Group/Graded winners
64Listed winners
30Group/Grade 1 winners
23years on covering duty at Cheveley Park Stud

Siyenica is also a sibling to Siyouma, winner of the Sun Chariot and E.P Taylor Stakes by Medicean, and Galileo's Listed-winning daughter Sayana.

In turn she is out of Sichilla, a daughter of Danehill who joined the Aga Khan's herd following the acquisition of the late Jean-Luc Lagardere's equine interests in 2005, a purchase which included the multiple champion French breeder's stallion Linamix, 62 mares, 74 horses in training, 42 yearlings and 43 foals.

Siyarafina's success capped a fine day for the Aga Khan Studs team, as they had earlier seen Zakallani, a son of Invincible Spirit out of Zarkava, register a maiden victory.

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