Press Your Luck in the money at Kempton

Neil Morrice
March 19, 2022 3:38 pm

Chris Gordon winner back on an upward curve.

Press Your Luck will target a race at the Aintree Festival next month following his rout of what looked a competitive field for the GBP 40,000 Virgin Bet Handicap Hurdle at Kempton Park.

The 10-1 shot travelled so well on the outer for Jamie Moore that the combination looked the likely winner early in the home straight. When given the office the seven-year-old skipped three and a quarter lengths clear of Paddys Motorbike.

Trainer Chris Gordon felt the winner’s recent Wincanton triumph acted as a confidence lifter, and explained: “I was a bit obsessed with him running in smaller fields and so today with more runners I told Jamie to keep him on the outer.

Press Your Luck returns with Jamie Moore (PA)

“He sulked in the cheekpieces we fitted for the Lanzarote and so we went back to square one.”

Part-owner Paul Cox, who lives in the shadow of Plumpton racecourse, praised Gordon for his knack at finding good horses at relatively inexpensive prices.

He observed: “Chris likes the Monbegs and Doyens that tend to be cheaper, and by that I mean at 50 grand this was an inexpensive horse. Chris is a seriously good trainer.”

Gordon added that his smart novice Aucunrisque would head for the Grade One novice hurdle at Aintree rather than go down the handicap route.