Espoir d'Allen was a French-bred, Irish-trained racehorse who won the 2019 Champion Hurdle.

Background

Espoir d'Allen was a bay horse with a narrow white blaze bred in France by Bruno Vagne. He was sired by the Thoroughbred stallion Voix du Nord out of the

AQPS The French Chaser, or AQPS, is a French breed of racehorse bred specifically for its jumping ability in steeplechase and cross-country racing. It originates from warmblood horses bred principally for military use in the nineteenth centur ...

mare Quadanse.

Racing career

2017/2018 season

Espoir d'Allen won the Bar One Racing Juvenile Hurdle at

Fairyhouse Fairyhouse Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Ireland. It is situated in the parish of Ratoath in County Meath, on the R155 regional road, off the N3. It hosted its first race in 1848 and since 1870 has been the home of the Irish Grand ...

and the Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle at

Leopardstown Racecourse Leopardstown Racecourse is a horse-racing course in Leopardstown, approximately south of Dublin city centre, in Ireland. Like the majority of Irish courses, it hosts both National Hunt and Flat racing. Built by Captain George Quin and modell ...

in the latter part of 2017.

2018/2019 season

In his second season over jumps Espoir d'Allen won the

Fishery Lane Hurdle The Fishery Lane Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Naas over a distance of about 2 miles (3,218 metres), and it is scheduled to take place e ...

Naas Racecourse Naas Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, approximately 18 miles from Dublin. The course stages both Flat racing and National Hunt racing and in 2010 fifteen race meetings were held there. The Naas Races Company w ...

in November and the Irish Independent Hurdle at

Limerick Racecourse Limerick Racecourse (Greenmount Park) is a horse racing venue in County Limerick, Ireland, which stages both National Hunt and flat racing Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or m ...

in December. In January 2019 he took the

Limestone Lad Hurdle The Limestone Lad Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years and over. It is run at Naas over a distance of 2 miles (3,219 metres) and during its running t ...

at Naas. At

Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham Racecourse at Prestbury Park, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, hosts National Hunt horse racing. Racing at Cheltenham took place in 1815, but comprised only minor flat races on Nottingham Hill. The first racing on Cleeve ...

on 12 March he won the

Champion Hurdle The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years ...

at odds of 16/1, coming home fifteen lengths clear of his nine opponents. In August 2019 Espoir d'Allen injured his shoulder after rearing up and falling during an exercise canter. His condition deteriorated and he was euthanised on 23 August.

References

External links

Profile
at the Racing Post

– ''Espoir D'Allen'' Cheltenham Festival winners Champion Hurdle winners 2014 racehorse births Racehorses bred in France Racehorses trained in Ireland Non-Thoroughbred racehorses 2019 racehorse deaths {{Racehorse-stub