19 Facts About Pastoral Pursuits

Pastoral Pursuits was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire.

Pastoral Pursuits was bred in Newmarket and sold for 24,000 guineas as a yearling.

Pastoral Pursuits's racing career was ended by injury shortly afterwards and he was retired to stud.

Pastoral Pursuits had some success as a sire of winners.

Pastoral Pursuits was a bay horse with no white markings bred by the Newmarket based Red House Stud.

Pastoral Pursuits was sired by Bahamian Bounty, who had his greatest success as a two-year-old in 1996 when he won the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes and was voted Cartier Champion Two-year-old Colt.

Pastoral Pursuits produced Pastoral Pursuits' full-brother Goodricke who won the Haydock Sprint Cup in 2005.

In October 2002, Pastoral Pursuits was consigned to the Tattersalls sale at Newmarket and bought for 24,000 guineas by the trainer Hughie Morrison.

Pastoral Pursuits was trained by Morrison at East Ilsley throughout his racing career and was ridden in all but two of his races by Steve Drowne.

Pastoral Pursuits made his racecourse debut in a maiden race over six furlongs at Windsor Racecourse on 9 June 2003.

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 He eventually reappeared in June when he contested the Listed Surrey Stakes over seven furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse.

Pastoral Pursuits started slowly and appeared to be struggling before beginning to make progress approaching the last quarter mile.

Pastoral Pursuits 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.

Pastoral Pursuits never looked likely to win and finished fifth of the seven runners behind Somnus.

Pastoral Pursuits lost any chance when slipping on the final turn and finished seventh of the ten runners behind Valixir.

Pastoral Pursuits was ridden by John Egan as Drowne was required to ride the outsider Avonbridge for the Roger Charlton stable.

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.

Pastoral Pursuits was retired from racing to stand as a breeding stallion at The National Stud.

Pastoral Pursuits died of a ruptured blood vessel on 23 February 2021 at age 20.