Chris Richardson

Cheveley Park Stud's Estrange will remain in training and on the hunt for a Group 1 victory, according to managing director Chris Richardson. The consistent grey daughter of Night Of Thunder finished second to Kalpana (Study Of Man) in Saturday's G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes. Prior to that effort, she won the G3 Lester Piggott Stakes and then the G2 Lancashire Oaks this year. She ran second to Minnie Hauk (Frankel) in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks in August and Ascot was her first run back for trainer...

Night Of Thunder currently sits at the top of the sire rankings for Britain and Ireland and, in a year in which he has already been represented by a first Classic winner in Desert Flower, his position could well be strengthened after Saturday with two other star performers lining up at Sandown and Haydock. Coral's sponsorship of the Eclipse Stakes reaches its 50th anniversary this year and the Group 1 contest, which has a roll of honour including such great names as Mill Reef, Sadler's Wells, Giant's Causeway and Enable,...

On the gloomiest of January days when even the snowdrops aren't bobbing their heads with too much enthusiasm, there is however an undeniable sense of excitement at Cheveley Park Stud. The red doors of the immaculate stallion yard give a flash of colour at least, as the one at the end of the row opens to grant access to a new stallion as grey as the day itself.  Vandeek (GB) has already enjoyed some days in the sun and there is now hope of more to come from his secondary...

The unbeaten Defence Minister (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) has been supplemented by owners Wathnan Racing for Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury at a cost of £5,000. Last seen defying a penalty in decisive fashion at Haydock, Defence Minister is one of 19 horses in contention for the prestigious two-year-old contest as he tries to make it three wins from as many starts for his Qatari-born, Newmarket-based trainer Hamad Al-Jehani. G2 Gimcrack Stakes winner Cool Hoof Luke (GB) (Advertise {GB}) and Aidan O'Brien's G3 Round...

Sir Michael Stoute, who announced his impending retirement earlier in the day, was very much in business-as-usual mode as 'TDN Rising Star' Formal (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--Veracious {GB}, by Frankel {GB}) added to her impressive debut success at Newbury in July with an equally taking 2 1/2-length tally in Tuesday's British EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes at Leicester. 3rd-Leicester, £9,000, Nov, 9-10, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:29.82, sf. FORMAL (GB) (f, 2, Dubawi {Ire}--Veracious {GB} {G1SW-Eng, $597,607}, by Frankel {GB}), who attained 'TDN Rising Star' status in her July 25 debut over this...

British bloodstock industry stalwarts Chris Richardson and Paul and Sara Thorman featured among the headline winners at the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Flat Breeders' Awards for the 2023 season, held at Chippenham Park on the evening of Wednesday, July 10. With recipients revealed only at the event, Cheveley Park Stud managing director Chris Richardson received the Dominion Bronze Award, which recognises outstanding contribution and long-term commitment from someone in the industry, while Paul and Sara Thorman, who have run Trickledown Stud since 1990, received the Andrew Devonshire Bronze Award, which acknowledges...

Chevely Park Stud's homebred Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will race next in Newmarket's G1 Sun Chariot S. on Oct. 7, skipping a trip to the Irish Champions Festival, Cheveley Park Stud's managing director Chris Richardson said. The 4-year-old filly captured the G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Aug. 13 in her most recent start, which secured her spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November. The Sun Chariot provides a four-week lead into the Breeders' Cup. "She's...

What was your first job in the Thoroughbred industry? It was a school holiday job opportunity, after a family Christmas at home in Northumberland, when my brother, Tim, suggested I might like to come back to France with him and spend a few weeks working at the Haras de La Verrerie in Normandy where he was the manager. My parents thought this was an excellent idea as it would help me with my French, so one snowy morning we set off in Tim's Mini Cooper and slithered our way over...

Lesser mortals than Frankie Dettori would had been in danger of imploding with his June hex, so it was with a large measure of relief that Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) timed her dramatic reintroduction perfectly for Friday's G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot. It is clear after this emphatic display that her absence from the 1000 Guineas was a big miss, but the Gosdens were right to wait out the cold Spring and choose an English summer's afternoon that was as glorious as is as gets to...

Leading Irish 1,000 Guineas fancy Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will not run at the Curragh on Sunday and will instead chart a path towards the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot on June 17. The decision was made after the filly was ridden in a key workout by Frankie Dettori over the weekend and the news was revealed by Cheveley Park's Chris Richardson on Monday. Richardson said that it was the recommendation of joint-trainer John Gosden to go straight to Royal Ascot and bypass the Curragh this weekend. He explained,...

Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), one of the leading fancies for the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 1, will miss the race, according to the owners' managing director Chris Richardson. The John and Thady Gosden trainee is a perfect four-for-four, with black-type victories in the Listed Star S. in June, the Sept. 9 G2 May Hill S. and the Oct. 8 G1 Fillies' Mile to end her season. "John Gosden had an in-depth discussion with the boss, Mrs. Thompson, and following that, it was decided...

Pivotal (GB) (Polar Falcon-Fearless Revival {GB}, by Cozzene), Cheveley Park Stud's homebred champion sprinter who went on to have a huge impact as a sire and broodmare sire, died age 28 peacefully in his paddock at Cheveley Park Stud on Friday morning. Pivotal had been pensioned at Cheveley Park since covering a very select book of mares earlier this year. Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud, said, "The story associated with the 'Mighty' Pivotal is truly extraordinary, considering he was the result of the very first covering his...