Cheveley Park Stud

Owner(s): David and Patricia Thompson
Born: David, April 4, 1936; Patricia, March 8, 1940
Professional Background: David Thompson began his business life as a meat trader in Smithfield Market in London ... He founded the Hillsdown Holdings food group in 1975 and sold it some 10 years later for $390 million ... His 42-year-old son, Richard, also is an entrepreneur and The Sunday Times Rich List rates the family fortune at $941 million, making them the 165th richest family in Britain
Web site: www.cheveleypark.co.uk
Racing Background: Through most of the 19th century the stud was owned by the Duke of Rutland ... It was the source of three classic winners in the early part of the century, including the 1828 Derby and 2,000 Guineas winner, Cadland ... But the best horse ever bred there was the mighty Isinglass, who won the Triple Crown in 1893 and went on to a highly successful career as a stallion ... Others playing major roles in Cheveley Park are its manager, Chris Richardson, and the Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute
Breeding/Racing Operation: In 2007, the stud had 80 horses in training in Britain and one with Jean-Claude Rouget in France ... The Thompsons have expanded the stud to include Ashley Heath Stud, Strawberry Hill Stud, Sandwich Stud and Warren Hill Stud, so that it is now one of the foremost stud farms in Britain ... Cheveley Park Stud, which is the commercial section of the operation, had six resident stallions in 2007: Medicean, Pivotal, Kyllachy, Carnival Dancer, Where Or When and Iceman ... There also are 120 mares based on the property ... The policy of the stud took a different course in 1999 when it was decided to race the best of the homebred colts with the intention that the most successful ones would continue their careers as stallions back at the stud of their birth. The new direction started on a promising note when Medicean won both the Lockinge Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes in 2001 ... Other top-class horses bred in recent years by the stud include Megahertz, Entrepreneur, Exclusive, Regal Rose, Pivotal, Port Lucaya, Soviet Line, Red Bloom, Chorist, Peeress and Nannina ... Russian Rhythm, who was purchased as a yearling in America, won the 2003 1,000 Guineas in the stud's patriotic red, white and blue silks and went on to land three further group 1 races ... 2004 was a fantastic year for the stud, both in terms of racing and breeding. On the breeding side, Pivotal was the leading sire of 2-year-olds for the year in Britain and Ireland. On the track, it was a best-ever year for the stud in terms of both numbers of winners and individual winners; it finished third in the owners' championship with 58 wins from 218 runs and over $2 million in prize money ... In 2006, it finished fourth in the owners' table, a position it is set to fill again in 2007 as, up to Oct. 11, it was in fourth with 34 wins from 192 runners ... Recent group 1 wins have come via Nannina (Fillies' Mile 2005, Coronation Stakes 2006) and Confidential Lady (Prix de Diane 2006) while the Cheveley Park-bred Excellent Art won the 2007 St James's Palace Stakes ... The stud has already recorded success in the Breeders' Cup as it owned in partnership with Ogden Phipps the 1989 Sprint winner Dancing Spree … Cheveley Park has had four Breeders' Cup starters as a breeder – Megahertz (three starts in the Filly & Mare Turf), Soviet Line, Funfair and Excellent Art, runner-up in the 2007 Mile.