Meet the man who bred two Grade 1 winners at last season's Cheltenham Festival

Scott Burton talks to Bruno Vagne, breeder of Envoi Allen and Espoir D'Allen

Envoi Allen: will be a warm order to continue his winning run at Naas

Envoi Allen continues to showcase Bruno Vagne's golden touch and is now odds-on to add the Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival to his 2019 victory in the Weatherbys Champion BumperCredit: Patrick McCann

It is French football's equivalent of 'they think it's all over' and is the only comparison Bruno Vagne can reach for in describing his feelings after Espoir D'Allen and Envoi Allen completed an extraordinary double for his small breeding operation at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, a meeting he had only previously enjoyed from the comfort of his living room.

Vagne says: "There was a very famous football commentator who said when France won the World Cup in 1998, 'Now I’ve seen that I can die peacefully'."

The late Thierry Roland followed his observation with a widely celebrated expletive after Les Bleus had routed Brazil 3-0 in the Stade de France.

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock

Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data

Already a subscriber?Log in

Published on 14 January 2020inNews

Last updated 14:53, 19 January 2020

Copy