Chris Gordon interview

The highlight on the opening afternoon of Hamilton's two day fixture was the Almada Mile Handicap and it was won in convincing fashion by the unbeaten I'll Be Back. The Lope De Vega colt hadn't been seen since beating the useful King's Cavalry at Leicester in April and was making his handicap bow off an opening mark of 92. Racing prominently and enthusiastically under Sam James, Karl Burke's runner led over two furlongs out and only had to be pushed out to beat former Royal Ascot winner English Oak by a length and three quarters. His connections considered the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at the Royal meeting last month and he is evidently a Pattern horse in the making. However, it would be no surprise to see him head to York (20th August) for the £150,000 Sky Bet Festival Handicap over a mile - his stable won it with another three year old Thunder Run in 2024. He is one to keep on the right side of.

Despite nursing a dislocated shoulder, Chris Gordon kindly gave up nearly an hour of his time on Thursday lunchtime discussing his exciting string for the winter ahead. The Winchester based handler is always excellent company and great value, plus he is responsible for a very strong team of National Hunt horses. The stable sent out 45 winners at a strike-rate of 21% during the 2025/2026 campaign and it included Grade 2 and Listed wins, plus the valuable Betfair Staying Handicap Hurdle at Haydock in November. Chris has purchased a number of Irish pointers during the 'off season,' and has also been sent a couple of horses owned by Johnny De La Hey. His son Freddie had a terrific season in the saddle last term with 43 winners at a strike-rate of 22% and they are developing into a formidable combination. Expect the yard to have an even better season this time around.