David Thompson
David Thompson, who has died aged 84, was a Smithfield meat trader turned takeover tycoon who became an influential figure in racing as the owner of Newmarket’s historic Cheveley Park Stud.
Thompson’s master company, Hillsdown Holdings, was a hot stock of the 1980s boom years, expanding at breathless pace to become Britain’s largest producer of eggs, meat and canned foods, including own-label products for supermarket chains, in addition to interests in timber, furniture, stationery and property. Best known for its poultry interests, Hillsdown offered everything from breeder hens for egg producers to frozen Chicken Kievs.
After floating in 1985, Hillsdown completed more than 40 acquisitions in two years – usually buying undervalued businesses on friendly terms and allowing them to continue operating under their own names. A rare venture into the contested takeover arena was an unsuccessful £500 million bid in 1986 for the commodity trader S & W Berisford.