Pastoral Pursuits’ talented if sometimes way-ward son, lights up the weekend’s racing for The National Stud stallions.
Saturday 2nd June
As all eyes were on Epsom Downs on Saturday afternoon, ours were turned North West in preparation for promising runners at Haydock Park.
Watching PASTORAL PLAYER entering the stalls has become some what of a nerve wracking experience over the course of his career but he appeared calm and collected on Saturday as he lined up against six others for the Timeform Jury Stakes – a Gr.3 contest run over 7f. Nerves were set alight once more as the son of Pastoral Pursuits made a messy start from the stalls and sat at the back of the field for much of the race. However, at the furlong pole, his blistering turn of foot gave him the advantage to lead 100yards out and win going away easily. After an encouraging seasonal re-appearance in the Victoria Cup, Pastoral Player made this step up to Group victory readily. There are rumours of taking on Black Caviar at Royal Ascot or the Criterion Stakes at the end of June – all we can say is we are looking forward to his next run where ever it is!
Pastoral Player is trained by Hughie Morrison who trained his sire Pastoral Pursuits; he is also owned in part by the same owners as his sire and races in the same colours. He was bred by Whitsbury Manor Stud & Pigeon House Stud and is out of the mare Copy Cat (Lion Cavern).
Pastoral Player is Pastoral Pursuits’ 4th UK stakes winner and the second group winner of his stallion’s young career.
Bahamian Bounty also had a winner from his crops of older horses over the weekend. BOSUN BREESE (Tenebrae) was the pace setter in the race and powered away from his eight rivals to win easily for Harrowgate Bloodstock and trainer David Baron. The seven year old gelding continues to be good value and continues to dominate at this level over the minimum distance.
Bosun Breese is out of the mare Tenebrae (In The Wings) and was bred by Lady Lonsdale.
Further a field, three year old filly BOUNTY SAT secured second place at Siracusa in Italy over a course of 1900m for breeders Jenny Hall Bloostock and Sideways Bloodstock and FRECKENHAM TED (Sheer Gold) gained third place in a 1730m 50,000krn handicap in Sweden.
Sunday 3rd June
The Queen watched a damp but colourful flotilla of boats make its way down the Thames. Meanwhile in Dusseldorf, talented Dubawi filly ELECTRELANE (Imperialistic) ran strongly and battled gamely on soft ground to win the German 1,000gns, a Gr.2 contest run over a mile. After only two runs as a two year old, Electrelane has won at Group level on only her third attempt at three years old. She has previously been placed third in the Gr.3 Fred Darling Stakes and second in a Listed race at York in 2012. She is trained by Ralph Beckett and was bred by Bigwigs Bloodstock.
IMPERIALISTIC her dam is owned by The National Stud; she was bought as a brood mare at the Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale in 2010 from Grove Farm Stud for 46,000gns. She is also the dam of Imperialistic Diva (Haafhd) who is listed placed in the UK and now in training in the USA with Simon Callaghan.
Imperialistic has a lovely Pastoral Pursuits yearling that will be sold this year; she was unfortunately barren to Exceed & Excel in 2011 but is now safely in foal to dual Gr.1 winning miler and National Stud first season sire Dick Turpin.
Rachael Gowland
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