Mare of the Moment–Reaction

Mare Of The Moment is a TDN feature that looks to highlight the success of a broodmare and give her and her owner recognition for those achievements. In association with the Irish National Stud the mare will receive a personalised headcollar and this month, Reaction (Fr) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}) is the recipient of Mare Of The Moment.

Amid a host of top-class jumpers that reach the shores of Britain and Ireland from France, Envoi Allen (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}) has every right to be considered one of the most exciting novice hurdlers of recent years. The 5-year-old's progression from the paddocks of the Vagne family's Elevage Allen at Souvigny in the centre of France to a debut victory in an Irish point-to-point and Grade 1 wins at the Cheltenham Festival and Fairyhouse has been faultless.

Envoi Allen represents four generations of Vagne breeding, both equine and human. Bred by Bruno Vagne, he is the first foal of Reaction, who was, like her own mother, a specialist over the cross-country fences when trained by Emmanuel Clayeux.

Reaction's second foal, Fighter Allen (Fr), a 4-year-old son of Prix du Jockey Club winner Vision d'Etat (Fr), has now joined his elder brother at Gordon Elliott's stable having won an AQPS bumper by five lengths on his sole start in France for Gabriel Leenders in May. Meanwhile, the mare's unraced 3-year-old filly Glasgow Allen (Fr) (American Post {GB}) is listed as in training with Clayeux.

Another filly has followed in the 14-year-old mare's faultless production line to date and her yearling, named Impulsion Allen (Fr), is from the first crop of the Group 2-winning stayer Fly With Me (Fr), the only son of Beat Hollow (GB) at stud in France, standing at Elevage du Fruitier, close to Vichy.

The drums were clearly beating as to the prowess of Reaction's firstborn, who was already a point-to-point winner when the mare returned to Haras du Mezeray's dependable veteran Muhtathir to be covered in June 2018. Less than two months after Envoi Allen romped to glory in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, Vagne welcomed his full-brother, now named Joyau Allen (Fr), on May 5.

Reaction is part of an 18-strong broodmare band at Elevage Allen alongside several of her relatives and her now-retired dam, the nine-time winner Hesmerelda (Fr).

Envoi Allen is truly representative of the symbiotic nature of the European National Hunt breeding scene. Bred in France under its thriving AQPS banner, he is trained in one of Ireland's leading jumps stables but carries the famously patriotic red-white-and-blue colours of David and Patricia Thompson's British-based Cheveley Park Stud. As well as being first-class owner-breeders on the Flat, the Thompsons have always dabbled in jumping, notably owning the 1992 Grand National winner Party Politics (GB), and they enjoyed two Cheltenham Festival victories in 2019, the second via A Plus Tard (Fr) (Kapgarde {Fr}).

Bruno Vagne's breeding operation was also represented by two Cheltenham winners as he is the breeder of G1 Champion Hurdle victor Espoir d'Allen (Fr) (Voix Du Nord {Fr}), who tragically lost his life in August after he slipped on the road when returning from exercise to trainer Gavin Cromwell's yard. He shares his third dam with Envoi Allen as both geldings descend from the AQPS mare Violeta (Fr). Bred by Vagne's father Andre, she is a daughter of the Airlie Stud-bred Rhapsodien (Ire), by Habitat.

On Dec. 1, Envoi Allen extended his unbeaten run to six, his fluent transition from bumpers to jumping being demonstrated by two wins this season–from a maiden hurdle race straight into a Grade 1 contest. He should be seen next at Leopardstown over Christmas.