By John Boyce
In 2018, a new milestone was reached by a broodmare sire in Europe. Pivotal (GB) became the first-ever to be represented by as many as eight individual European Group 1 winners in a single year. And on only four previous occasions has a broodmare sire managed to top the annual list with five or more Group 1 winners. Danehill was the best in 2011, 2012 and 2014, siring the dams of seven, six and five Group 1 winners. Meanwhile, Sadler's Wells sired the dams of five Group 1 winners when topping the list in 2005.
So, only three stallions have managed to head the annual list with five or more Group 1 winners since the pattern began. That's pretty exalted company considering that some of the finest broodmares have fallen short. Darshaan (GB) was a leading broodmare sire of Group 1 winners in Europe on nine occasions between 1998 and 2013, but the most he could manage in his best years was four, which he achieved on five occasions. Sadler's Wells was at the top on four further occasions with four Group 1 winners and his son Galileo also had four Group 1 winners in 2016 and 2017, when he shared the title with Pivotal and Storm Cat.
What's remarkable about Pivotal's success this year is the breath in aptitude of his daughter's Group 1 winners. There were two juvenile six-furlong winners in Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and Fairyland (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), and a five-furlong sprinter in Mab's Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}). One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) won a Group 1 over seven furlongs and Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Olmedo (Fr) (Declaration Of War) over a mile. Then there were middle-distance stars Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
