Outsider Branded may have caught the eye with his Singspiel, Bosra Sham parentage but Pivotal Rock (by Pivotal out of Irish 1,000 Guineas & Oaks runner-up Kitza) has plenty to recommend him on pedigree too and he backed that up with his performance in landing the Gilna's Cottage Inn Maiden at Laytown under Wayne Lordan.
Switched to launch his challenge in the final quarter mile, the well-backed (10s into 11/2) Michael O'Flynn-owned (will be represented by Saddler's Rock under Niall McCullagh in tomorrow's Doncaster Cup) four-year-old stayed on well to hit the front inside the final furlong and he comfortably accounted for Hot Sand by a length and a half.
Tommy Stack trains Pivotal Rock and for Lordan this was a first success in the plate at Laytown.
Lordan said: "That's my first winner here and I'm glad to get it. I've had a couple of seconds here.
"It's something completely different and I don't get many opportunities here as the weights are heavier.
"This fellow had a good first run and he went a bit mad in the stalls second time. His third run over a mile and a half was as much to get him through the stalls as anything.
"He took time to get going here but once he did he did it well and stayed well."
Of course Lordan takes the ride on Requinto in tomorrow's Flying Childers at Doncaster.
