LORD CAN LAND NO.17
Tom found veteran perfect race
TOM HOGAN’S veteran stablestar Gordon Lord Byron should return to winning ways in today’s Irish Stallion Farms Race in Navan.
The remarkable 10-year-old globetrotter has notched 16 wins during an illustrious career, including Group 1 victories in England (the 2013 Haydock Sprint Cup), France (2012 Prix de la Foret) and Australia (2014 George Ryder Stakes).
And, although without a win since landing last year’s Group 2 Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh’s Guineas meeting, the Byron gelding has shown plenty of his old sparkle in recent outings and should be capable of outpointing just two rivals today, to launch a busy autumn campaign.
On his penultimate start, Gordon Lord Byron chased home Speak In Colours (runs in today’s Group 2 32Red Sprint Cup in Haydock) in the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh last month.
And he followed that with another second, behind 119-rated Expert Eye, in the Group 2 City Of York Stakes over seven furlongs in York.
Gordon Lord Byron is the highestrated of the three runners, is clearly on good terms with himself and, with Billy Lee again in the saddle, Gordon looks set to register his 17th success.
With Donnacha O’brien on Group 1 duty for his brother Joseph in Haydock,
Seamus Heffernan has the pick of the Ballydoyle rides, including
Gordon Lord Byron’s chief rival BATTLE OF JERICHO, narrow winner of the Rockingham at the Curragh and dropping in class, having contested the Group 1 Nunthorpe at York last time.
Heffernan and Aidan O’brien might enjoy better luck with LOST TREASURE and ISLE OF INNISFREE in the sprint handicaps on the card.
Lost Treasure won a recent Curragh maiden after a lengthy absence and, reappearing five days later, made a successful handicap debut, off an initial mark of 80, on the same track.
He held the fast-finishing Amanaat by a half-length that day and is now 7lb worse off with that rival. But, with plenty of improvement expected, the Ballydoyle colt, an improving three-year-old, might have the edge again and might also take advantage of the 12lb he receives from stable-companion DALI, the mount of Wayne Lordan.
After a couple of disappointing efforts (lost shoes on both occasions), 89-rated Isle Of Innisfree showed plenty of speed when turning over odds-on stable-companion All The King’s Men in a Naas maiden on Tuesday and might be capable of defying a 6lb rise and top-weight in the Irish Stallion farms Premier Nursery.
And FIRST RESPONSE, which had subsequent impressive winner Prepare For Battle in third when beaten a length by Dabiyr at Gowran Park on his second start, is napped to land the mile maiden for Ger Lyons, left, and Colin Keane.