IT might not surprise you that one of the younger owners of Cheveley Park Stud’s Envoi Allen is annoyed with me.
You see, when he won last time I wasn’t blown away with the ante-post odds-on favourite for Thursday’s Marsh Novices’ Chase. And I said so on TV.
Louis Thompson, twenty-one-year-old son of Cheveley director Richard Thompson, took umbridge to the remark.
Thompson Snr informed me: “Louis said to me ‘that Matt Chapman has said last time out Envoi Allen wasn’t that impressive. Doesn’t he know he only does enough?’ But I’m with you, though, I think he could have done it easier!”
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Envoi Allen – called ‘Envoy Alan’ by Thompson rather than a more French interpretation as he says he is a “basic London boy” – is one of six Cheveley big guns set to run at the Cheltenham Festival.
And the other five are hugely talented performers in Ballyadam, Quilixios, Sir Gerhard, A Plus Tard and Allaho.
The blue, white and red colours have been a joyous recent addition to the jumps game, having made their name on the Flat and in the breeding world with the likes of Pivotal back in the 90s, Medicean, Russian Rhythm, Chorist, Confidential Lady, Kingsgate Native and Veracious.
So how has this come about?
“I was talking to Willie Mullins a few years ago over the Sir Peter O’Sullevan charitable lunch and it went from there,” says Thompson.
“My father, David, who sadly passed away recently, had bought my mother Patricia the Grand National winner Party Politics so there had been some history.
“My mother has always been keener on the breeding side and my father the racing and action. We are one big family, but the jumps was more my father.
“After that conversation with Willie my father said he would love to buy some younger jumps horses horse and run them in our colours. He was eighty one at the time so it might seem a bit strange to buy young horses. But that’s what he wanted. He recognised the colours are well known and of course it promoted the stud.”
Thompson added: “We hoped to get some decent horses. But didn’t think we would get this number from a small string. We only have sixteen in training and six running.”
Of course Envoi Allen has recently moved from the Gordon Elliott yard to Henry de Bromhead’s stable after the infamous photo that has left the former banned from the game for six months.
Envoi Allen won last year’s Ballymore at the Festival
Of the move, Thompson said: “Of course it’s not ideal and we have all thought it through that the horses we have moved could disappoint. But it’s impossible to tell and one of those things.”
Envoi Allen is unbeaten in eleven starts and is bidding for a third Festival success, having landed the bumper in 2019 and the Ballymore in 2020. He’s looked a monster and a natural over fences.
Thompson said: “Envoi Allen cost a lot of money and there has always been expectation and now there is a growing reputation. We enjoy all the talk and it will be a lot less pressure not being there.
“I don’t think he was quite as impressive last time at Punchestown but he’s obviously a very good horse. The reception would have been something at the track if he won at three Festivals as it was quite something last year.
“The long term aim with him has always been that he’s a Gold Cup horse.”
Ballyadam has been beaten twice by Appreciate It and tackles him again in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on Tuesday.
Thompson said: “The ground will be better for him and we expect a very decent showing. We got closer last time and hope the ground will allow us to get closing again.”
Quilixios will run in the JCB Triumph.
“The Triumph might be a little too quick for him and he might run in the Boodles. He’ll stay further in time but he’s useful,” says Thompson. “He’s a long term project.
“Sir Gerhard is primed for the Cheltenham Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
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However, Thompson feels history could be his undoing! “We have won the Champion Bumper two years running – with Ferny Hollow and Envoi Allen – so I can’t see it three years running. With Ferny Hollow I could tell in Willie’s voice (Mullins) that he liked the horse. But I’ve had nothing from him yet about Sir Gerhard!”
Allaho is primed for the Ryanair Chase on Thursday, while A Plus Tard is a leading Wellchild Cheltenham Gold Cup contender.
Thompson added: “Allaho once ran third in the Albert Bartlett and Ruby said he would win the Gold Cup one day. The chips are down. I know the stable think a lot of him so we’ll see. I’m not sure what to expect.
“A Plus Tard beat Chacun Pour Soi once and showed a lot of speed. He’s a hard horse to judge – but he’s proven at the top level and his win last time was so exciting and the last race dad got to watch. I think it’s 50-50 whether he will stay though.”
With David Thompson having passed, it’s a case of enjoying the Cheveley Park Stud colours over jumps while you can.
Thompson concluded: “ We won’t be buying any more in the short term. So it’s unlikely we will have jumps horses after the current team have retired.”
That’s a great shame. But who knows? If one hacks up next week perhaps Patricia Thompson will also be bitten by the National Hunt bug.
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