Envoi Allen is on track to compete in the Gold Cup, marking his eighth consecutive appearance at the Cheltenham Festival.
Cheveley Park Stud’s Festival History
Cheveley Park Stud, better known for success on the Flat, has a history with jumpers. Patricia Thompson and her late husband David built a string of Cheveley Park jumpers trained in Ireland. The Thompson family’s Party Politics won the 1992 Grand National.
Three Cheveley Park jumpers, A Plus Tard, Allaho and Envoi Allen, debuted at the Cheltenham Festival as five-year-olds in 2019. A Plus Tard won the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase. Allaho finished third in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
From Bumper to Gold Cup for Envoi Allen
Envoi Allen, a French-bred, was purchased after winning an Irish point for £400,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham February Sale in 2018. He was then trained by Gordon Elliott. Envoi Allen won his three bumpers in Ireland before winning the 2019 Champion Bumper under Jamie Codd.
Codd described Envoi Allen as ‘a big baby’. He remained unbeaten when he returned to Cheltenham to win the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle. Davy Russell was in the saddle at this point. Envoi Allen had won his three races in Ireland, including the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse and the Lawlor’s of Naas. Elliott said, ‘We haven’t been hyping him, he’s been hyping himself’.
Retirements of Fellow Cheveley Park Runners
A Plus Tard ran at five consecutive Festivals. He was also third in the Ryanair and runner-up to Minella Indo in the Gold Cup the year before winning it. A Plus Tard was officially retired in January 2024, having run his final race in the previous month’s Savills Chase won by Galopin des Champs.
January 2024 also marked Allaho’s final race. He strained a hock winning the Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles for a third time, and his retirement was subsequently announced. Allaho was at his best over shorter distances, winning two editions of the Ryanair Chase.
Envoi Allen, now twelve, is set to participate in the Gold Cup for the first time.