Chris Gordon has his eye on major prizes at Cheltenham, Windsor and Newbury in the coming weeks - don't miss our half-term report with the in-form trainer.
Are you on course for a record year?
“I don’t know to be honest, hopefully we can keep going. We had 52 winners in 2022-23, so far this season we’ve had 32. So it’s great at the moment.
“This year we’ve done really well with the handicappers, the likes of David’s Well, Electric Avenue, Andashan and Jorebel, who won five times between September and December, have all been fantastic.”
What’s the target for 2026?
“I think my main aim for the year ahead is to try and win another nice pot or two.
“That would be lovely, but we’ve had a great start to the season and long may it continue.”
How does it feel to see Freddie enjoying such a fine time?
"The Fred-meister is going well, riding out his claim already. I think he’s ridden 30 of our winners at around a 30% strike-rate so I’m really pleased for him.
“And when you’ve got your son riding for you it does make it a lot more exciting, put it that way!”
Who could keep the Gordon flag flying high this January?
“As far as we’re concerned, Bass Hunter is looking like the nicest horse potentially we’ve ever had.
“He’s gone and showed himself to be a very decent horse in two bumpers and it probably didn’t suit him enormously at Ascot last time. It was very soft ground on the day and he’s a big horse with proper stride, I think genuine good ground would suit him.
“It was better ground when we declared him to be fair, but he carried on galloping to the line. Maybe Freddie kicked him on just a little too early as well, but he still did it extremely well.
“He’ll be aimed at the Winter Millions bumper at Windsor on January 18, there’s some great prize money so that’s his target at this moment.
“Fortune Timmy is looking another lovely horse. We went to Fontwell on Boxing Day as it was the owner’s wish actually. There was a novice race there which suited and he went and won very well.
“My son had been going on about the Challow Hurdle and I said ‘shut up, Freddie!’ but he did it impressively. He’s gone up to a rating of 129 after that win, the EBF Final was in my mind but we might have a look at Cheltenham on Trials Day.
“There’s a two and a half mile Grade 2 on January 24 around there which we’re now looking at as he’s a progressive horse, the run at Kempton was over a sharp two miles but the form from around there when behind Old Park Star and Un Sens A La Vie has stood up strongly.
“We were gutted we couldn’t got the Grade 1 at Aintree on Boxing Day – the Formby as it is now – with Diamond Hunter but he has puss in a foot which has turned out to be a bit of a pain. It’s a bit of a canal and it became quite deep.
“He'd won very nicely at Plumpton and then he toughed it out in the Grade 2 at Haydock. The stronger the gallop the better for him over two miles.
"I'm still hoping, fingers crossed, to get him to Haydock for the Rossington Main on January 17. If that doesn’t quite happen then we’ll probably head towards the Dovecote at Kempton."
Which horse are you most looking forward to if the weather plays ball this weekend?
“Goodwin is in the Lanzarote this Saturday, he’ll go for that hopefully and he’s been a grand horse this season.
“He’s won two and was second at Ascot last time over two miles and five furlongs. He ran another decent race and the winner and the third both had 10lb claimers on so I’m looking forward to running him despite him going up another 2lb in the weights.
“He’ll appreciate a bit of decent ground.”
Is anything pencilled in for next month’s William Hill Hurdle, a local race you won with Aucunrisque three years ago…?
“Possibly not this year but Poet Laureate is rated 121 at the moment so we’ll see where he fits in. We like him a lot though, he won his novice around Plumpton and won nicely in a handicap at Wincanton last time.
“He obviously had a bit of a blip at Ascot, I don’t know why, but off 121 we might see if we can try and get him in something like the William Hill Hurdle.
“There’s a quality race at Windsor on January 16 with big prize money too so we’ll consider that too all being well. I really like him and he could sneak into something nice now which would be great.”
What’s on the Cheltenham Festival radar at this very early stage?
“Well, it was great to see Electric Mason win the big pot at Haydock (replay below), his Cheltenham form had worked out well with Ma Shantou and the Haydock race was typically strong as well.
“All being well we’ll go straight to the Pertemps Final with him as he’s qualified from the October meeting.
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“All of Andashan's runs this season have been progressive. I still think he’d be quite attractive over two miles on proper soft ground but we don’t seem to get that any more! We really are crying out for some rain.
“I stepped him up to two miles and two furlongs at Haydock and he was unlucky in that he bumped into Kabral Du Mathan, then he did it really nicely at Newbury the other day.
“We'll see but we’ll probably look to get him nice and fresh then go for the Martin Pipe for him.
"David's Well could be another. He’s a very nice horse, he’s been progressive. We’re probably keeping him fresh now and we might just go straight for the Grand Annual.
"Annual Invictus is coming back to form, he might be of interest in the Cross Country race if we look that way at the Festival, and if all went well next time then Bass Hunter could be headed that way, or Aintree with a bit of luck."
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