Cheveley Park Stud is renowned as one of the most successful stud farms in Europe. Set in racing’s ancestral home at Newmarket the stud extends to just under 1,000 acres. Cheveley Park Stud itself is home to five top class stallions, while the nearby Sandwich, Strawberry Hill, Ashley Heath and Warren Hill studs accommodate the company’s other bloodstock interests.

The history of Cheveley Park is both long and regal, having been owned by several monarchs, dating back to King Athelstan (the grandson of King Alfred The Great), King Canute, Edward the Confessor, William the Conqueror, Edward I and Edward II. Sir John de Pultenay, Mayor of London four times, built Cheveley Castle, the last castle to be built in Cambridgeshire, in 1341.

Cheveley Park became the centre of a great landed estate as a result of the Duke of Somerset’s purchases in the 1730’s and 1740’s. Through a marriage settlement the estate then passed through the hands of four Dukes of Rutland. The fifth Duke Of Rutland, who planted the tree-lined avenue ‘Duchess Drive’ in memory of his wife, established Cheveley Park as a thoroughbred stud of note, breeding four Classic winners (Derby winner Cadland, Oaks winners Sorcery and Medora and One Thousand Guineas winner Rhoda).

Harry McCalmont purchased the estate in 1892 and at the time it covered some 7,800 acres, encompassing all the land up to the racecourse, which he also owned. Many of the stud buildings built by Harry McCalmont are used today, the most important being Isinglass’s spacious box, which is now occupied by Pivotal. Isinglass was bred by Harry McCalmont and was born at the stud in 1890; it was not until 1952 that his record winnings were surpassed, by Tulyar. Isinglass died in 1911 and his skeleton is in the National History Museum in London. The mansion built by Harry McCalmont was used as a military hospital in World War I and there was a POW camp at Cheveley Park Stud during World War II.

In 1975 David and Patricia Thompson purchased Cheveley Park Stud, then in receivership and having dwindled down to 270 acres. They stood their Gimcrack winner, Music Boy, at the stud in 1977 (against industry advice); however from 17 foals Music Boy was leading first season sire and his progeny earned over £2.5 million.

The mighty Pivotal was bred and born on the stud and was the first foal by his sire Polar Falcon in 1993.

In 1996 Pivotal won the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes, as did his son Kyllachy in 2002, and his grandson Sole Power in 2010. His results during his career to date stand at 99 individual Stakes winners, including 20 Group One winners. 1992 Grand National winner Party Politics, owned by Patricia Thompson, spent his retirement at Cheveley Park Stud.

Cheveley Park Stud currently stands five stallions – Pivotal, Kyllachy, Dutch Art, Medicean and Virtual.

Tell us how you entered the breeding world & how difficult was it getting started? My husband, David, and I gradually absorbed the world of racing within our families; my father was a small breeder and raced his stock, whilst David’s father also owned horses. It seemed quite natural to purchase ourselves a racehorse shortly after we married. From that point the number in training grew, and then we added a couple of mares. We found it a great mutual interest, which we could share. David determined to purchase a stud and eventually we bought Cheveley Park Stud in 1975, then in receivership and diminished to 270 acres from its peak of 7,800 acres in 1892. As luck would have it we had the majority share in a racehorse called Music Boy, who won the Gimcrack, and we felt he was good enough to stand at Cheveley Park from 1977 until his death in 1993. Music Boy, from only 17 foals, became the leading two-year-old sire – and our die was cast! There is a life-size bronze of Music Boy sited outside the office of Cheveley Park Stud.

What was the major turning point in your career? There were two major turning points in my career. Firstly, in 1982 I took over the running of the stud as David was too involved with his business life. Then in 1985, when David floated his company on the stock exchange – Hillsdown Holdings plc – we were able to put increased funding into the stud. We also started to have horses with Sir Michael Stoute, closely followed by engaging Chris Richardson as Managing Director, fresh from the Niarchos operation. We then appreciated we needed to upgrade our stock!

What has been the best professional decision you have made? Taking the decision to purchase fillies and mares with strong pedigrees. Having said that, we have always continued to buy ‘across the board’, as this industry is full of surprises and disappointments!

What has been your greatest disappointment? Whilst we bred Entrepeneur who won the English Two Thousand Guineas, and also purchased Russian Rhythm who won the English One Thousand Guineas, we have not to date won a Guineas with a home bred. In 2008 we had two very strong contenders with our fillies Spacious and Infallible. Both these fillies had their noses in front very near to the end of the race, when along swooped the French filly Natagora to claim the race. It was massively disappointing; Spacious was second and Infallible was fourth.

What do you consider your greatest breeding triumph? It has to be Pivotal! Pivotal was the first foal of Polar Falcon, a stallion we were standing at Cheveley Park, and it was important to promote him by consigning some attractive yearlings. Pivotal was definitely not a commercial prospect at that time, being large and ungainly with slightly offset knees, so we did not include him in our consignment. Chris Richardson thought Sir Mark Prescott would be an ideal trainer for him and under his care Pivotal duly won the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes and the Group Two King’s Stand Stakes. Pivotal went to stud at Cheveley Park for the 1997 season and, as at the end of 2011, he is the leading European sire by number of individual stakes winners, including 20 Group One winners. Pivotal’s fee has been as high as £85,000, however in this economic climate he now stands at £45,000; the ugly duckling indeed turned into a swan!

What has been your most satisfying day at the sales?  In the days when we sold all our colts and retained our fillies, two of our yearling colts being consigned at the then Houghton Sales were joint top lots at 600,000 guineas. Last year, we returned to consigning all our colts, bar the ones with questionable X rays, and we will be doing the same this October.

What has been your proudest moment in racing? When my husband and I were awarded The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit at the Cartier Awards in 2004. This is a most prestigious award, won by others much more important than us; we were surprised and very appreciative!

"Pivotal"

Has there been anybody in the industry who has had an impact on your career and you admire? My husband and I admired the late Gerald Leigh, who was kind enough to give us some advice in our early days. Gerald, whose knowledge of the industry from a breeder’s perspective was second to none, had tremendous success from a relatively small broodmare band.

If you had the power to make one change in the thoroughbred industry, what would it be? To increase the prize money in order to keep current owners racing in England and encourage new owners into the industry. Rather like the English National Health Service, we now have a very expensive layer of management. We need to halve the management costs and put this money back into prize money. Easier said than done, I am afraid.

Can you name a best horse bred or sold? As previously mentioned, we bred and kept Pivotal to race. However, we did breed and sell a yearling filly for £12,000, some years ago. She was named Megahertz by her purchasers and raced in America, where she won $2,261,000! However, we do have several female members of her family.

What other aspirations would you like to achieve in the future? To endeavour to win more classic races in our colours with our home breds. To carry on culling our broodmare band and increase its potential.

What is the best advice you can give a young breeder entering the industry? Always buy a pedigree with black type in the family, even if you can only afford the black type two or three generations back! Give your mares plenty of space, tranquillity, frequent handling and attention to detail.