F EATURE CHEVELEY PARK STUD
Bet Supreme and the Ballymore and it’s the big question at the moment as towhich race hewill go for. There is also Classic Getawaywho is being aimed at the Albert Bartlett and Quilixios is a possible for the Unibet Champion Hurdle. Ontheropes is maybe one for the National Hunt Chase. “And then of course there is Envoi Allen,who has won six Grade Ones and twice at Cheltenham. Itwas obviously a bit of a shockwhat happened last year (when he fell at the fourth fence in theMarsh Novices’
Mullins at the Sir Peter O’Sullevan lunch at the end of 2017 andwhen you look atWillie’s individual record at Cheltenham, itmade sense to us to have horses with him.We then obviously linked upwith Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead as well. It’s been absolutely brilliant how it has gone.We havewon 18 Grade One races and had some big days.We paid some decentmoney to hopefully put together a decent group of horses and gone to some good trainers, but that is not always a guarantee of success sowe are obviously
Chase) and this year it is a question of whether he goes for the BetwayQueen Mother Champion Chase or the Ryanair.” Just five minutes in Thompson’s company is enough to understandwhere Cheveley Park’s passion for Jump racing comes from and inmanyways he considers himself a fan first and foremost. He concluded:
“Chasers are our real passion and the Boodles Gold Cup is the ultimate ambition”
absolutely delightedwith theway things haveworked out. The first batch of horses included Envoi Allen, Allaho andAPlus Tard sowe got off to a flying start.” The current season has already been Cheveley Park’s best to date in Ireland, both in terms of the number of races won and prize money earned.
“Cheveley Park has meant a lot to the family over the years and the Jump horses are another chapter in it. The days whenwe have enjoyed big jumps winners have given us an experience you really can’t put a price on. “I was speaking to Henry de Bromhead recently andwewere saying that in away National Hunt racing is similar to football in that people followcertain horses and in away they become the public’s horses. The only Flat horses I can think of that have achieved that kind of fame in recent years are Frankel and Enable and even then it hasn’t quite got the same level of passion.When you go to a National Hunt meeting there is that passion on course and the narrative, and stories through the stories, keep it going like a real-life soap opera.”
APlus Tard provided another highlightwhenwinning the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park, the operation’s first Grade One success in the UKoutside of The Festival™. Looking ahead to the 2022 Festival, Cheveley Park continue to aimhigh. Very high. Thompson added: “Chasers are our real passion and therefore the Boodles Gold Cup is the ultimate ambition. If you’ve got a good hurdler then great, but for us it’s always really been about the steeplechasing. APlus Tard towin the Boodles Gold Cupwould be the dream. “Allahowill be going for the Ryanair Chase again and it will be great if he can double up. It’s a bit of a blowFerny Hollowwon’t be able to go for the Sporting Life Arkle but that’s racing. Sir Gerhard is entered in both the Sky
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