Pastoral Pursuits

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Pastoral Pursuits
SireBahamian Bounty
GrandsireCadeaux Genereux
DamStar
DamsireMost Welcome
SexStallion
Foaled3 April 2001[1]
Died23 February 2021
CountryUnited Kingdom
ColourBay
BreederRed House Stud
OwnerHughie Morrison
The Pursuits Partnership
The Pursuits & National Stud Partnership
TrainerHughie Morrison
Record10: 6–2–0
Earnings£264,496
Major wins
Sirenia Stakes (2003)
Hackwood Stakes (2004)
Park Stakes (2004)
July Cup (2005)

Pastoral Pursuits (24 April 2000 – 23 February 2021) was a British

guineas as a yearling. As a two-year-old he finished second on his debut but won his three remaining races including the Group Three Sirenia Stakes. His three-year-old campaign was abbreviated by injury but he added two major wins in the Hackwood Stakes and the Park Stakes. In 2005 he made only two appearances but recorded his most important victory when winning the Group One July Cup at Newmarket Racecourse
. His racing career was ended by injury shortly afterwards and he was retired to stud. He had some success as a sire of winners.

Background

Pastoral Pursuits was a bay horse with no white

National Stud, he became reasonably successful as a sire of sprinters.[2] Pastoral Pursuits' dam Star won one minor race as a two-year-old in 1997[3] before becoming a successful broodmare. She produced Pastoral Pursuits' full-brother Goodricke who won the Haydock Sprint Cup
in 2005.

In October 2002, Pastoral Pursuits was consigned to the

guineas by the trainer Hughie Morrison.[4] Morrison assembled a syndicate known as the Pursuits Partnership in whose ownership the colt ran for his first two seasons.[5] He was trained by Morrison at East Ilsley throughout his racing career and was ridden in all but two of his races by Steve Drowne
.

Racing career

2003: two-year-old season

Pastoral Pursuits made his racecourse debut in a

33/1 outsider, he stayed on well in the closing stages to finish second, two and a half lengths behind the favourite Privy Seal. In July, he started favourite for a similar event at Chepstow Racecourse and recorded his first win, drawing away from his ten opponents in the last quarter mile to win by eight lengths.[6] The colt returned to Windsor and started odds-on favourite for a minor stakes race. Ridden by Darryll Holland, he took the lead after a furlong and went clear in the closing stages to record an "impressive" eight length victory from the Richard Hannon Sr.-trained King Carnival.[7]

In September, Pastoral Pursuits was moved up in class for the Group Three Sirenia Stakes over six furlongs at Kempton Park Racecourse and started 11/10 favourite against eight opponents. Drowne tracked the leaders before sending Pastoral Pursuits into the lead approaching the final quarter mile. The colt stayed on in the closing stages to win by two lengths and a neck from Diospyros Blue and Cartography.[8]

2004: three-year-old season

Pastoral Pursuits was regarded as a contender for the

2000 Guineas but missed the spring of 2004 after chipping a bone in his knee early in the year[9] He eventually reappeared in June when he contested the Listed Surrey Stakes over seven furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse. Starting at 9/1 in a six-runner field he took the lead a furlong from the finish but tired in the closing stages and was beaten half a length by the John Gosden-trained Madid, to whom he was conceding six pounds. In the following month, the colt started favourite against ten opponents in the Hackwood Stakes over six furlongs at Newbury Racecourse. After starting slowly, he took the lead inside the final furlong and got the best of in a tight, three-way struggle to win by a head and a neck from Cartography and Dowager.[10]

At Doncaster Racecourse on 9 September, Pastoral Pursuits was moved up in class and distance to contest the Group Two Park Stakes over seven furlongs. He started 5/1 fourth choice in the betting behind Firebreak (Mill Reef Stakes, Supreme Stakes, Godolphin Mile), Tillerman (Celebration Mile) and Fong's Thong (Thoroughbred Stakes), whilst the other runners included the four-year-old Court Masterpiece. Pastoral Pursuits started slowly and appeared to be struggling before beginning to make progress approaching the last quarter mile. He took the lead inside the final furlong and won by one and a quarter lengths from Firebreak, with Court Masterpiece a length and a half away in third.[11] Drowne, who rated Pastoral Pursuits the best horse he had ridden said, "It might not look impressive from the stands, because I am always rowing away in the early stages, but you know he will always find for you and he really lengthened in the final furlong".[5]

On his final appearance of the season, Pastoral Pursuits was sent to France for the Group One Prix de la Forêt over 1400 metres at Longchamp Racecourse in October. He never looked likely to win and finished fifth of the seven runners behind Somnus.

2005: four-year-old season

Before the start of the 2005 season, a share in Pastoral Pursuits was sold to the National Stud. As in the previous season, the colt missed the early part of the year and began his campaign in June. At the

Bentinck Stakes). The field spread across the wide Newmarket straight, with Pastoral Pursuits among the leaders on the far side (the left side from the jockeys' viewpoint) as Balmont led down the centre of the track. Pastoral Pursuits made a forward move approaching the final furlong, took the lead in the closing stages and won by one and a half lengths from Avonbridge, with Etlaala taking third ahead of Soldier's Tale and Balmont.[14] Morrison commented, "We always thought he was a bloody good horse and he proved it today. I have to thank all my staff, especially my assistant Gerry Gracey, who said to me that we should run him and that we would win a Group One".[15]

Pastoral Pursuits sustained a leg injury shortly after the race and was retired from racing at the end of July. Morrison explained that although the injury was not serious it would prevent him from contesting his two major targets: the Prix Maurice de Gheest in August and the Haydock Sprint Cup in early September.[16]

Stud record

Pastoral Pursuits was retired from racing to stand as a breeding stallion at The National Stud.[17] His best winners have included Pastoral Player (John of Gaunt Stakes), Angel's Pursuit (Carnarvon Stakes), Sagramor (Britannia Stakes), Auld Burns (Tattersalls Millions), Rose Blossom (Summer Stakes) and Ventura Mist (Two-year-old Trophy).[18] Pastoral Pursuits died of a ruptured blood vessel on 23 February 2021 at age 20.[19]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Pastoral Pursuits (GB), bay stallion, 2001[1]
Sire
Bahamian Bounty (GB)
1994 		Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
1985 		Young Generation Balidar
Brig o'Doon
Smarten Up Sharpen Up
Languissola
Clarentia (GB)
1984 		Ballad Rock
Bold Lad (IRE)
True Rocket
Laharden Mount Hagen
Sinella
Dam
Star (GB)
1995 		Most Welcome (IRE)
1984 		Be My Guest Northern Dancer
What A Treat
Topsy Habitat
Furioso
Marista (GB)
1977 		Mansingh Jaipur
Tutasi
Evendo Derring-Do
Christmas Eve (Family: 14-f)[20]

References

  1. ^ a b "Pastoral Pursuits pedigree". equineline.com.
  2. ^ "Bahamian Bounty Stud Record". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  3. ^ "Star – Record By Race Type". Racing Post.
  4. ^ "Tattersalls sale October 2002". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  5. ^ a b "Patience pays for Pastoral". Irish Examiner. 9 September 2004.
  6. ^ "Averti Maiden Stakes result". Racing Post. 25 July 2003.
  7. ^ "Ian Hutchinson Memorial Stakes result". Racing Post. 10 August 2003.
  8. ^ "Sirenia Stakes result". Racing Post. 6 September 2003.
  9. ^ David Carr (3 June 2004). "Pastoral Pursuits reappears after lengthy layoff". Racing Post.
  10. ^ "Hackwood Stakes result". Racing Post. 17 July 2004.
  11. ^ "Park Stakes result". Racing Post. 9 September 2004.
  12. ^ Alastair Down (10 July 2005). "Drowne gets share of Glory". Sunday Mirror.
  13. ^ Martin Kelly (8 July 2005). "Morrison makes the right choice". Evening Chronicle.
  14. ^ "July Cup result". Racing Post. 7 July 2005.
  15. ^ "Pastoral Pursuits bags July Cup". BBC Sport. 7 July 2005.
  16. ^ Journal staff (25 July 2005). "Pastoral Pursuits retired to stud". The Journal.
  17. ^ "Pastoral Pursuits (GB)". bloodhorse.com.
  18. ^ "Pastoral Pursuits – Stud Record". Racing Post.
  19. ^ "Norton Grove Stud resident and July Cup hero Pastoral Pursuits dies aged 20". Racing Post. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Honoria – Family 14-f". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
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