Irish trainer Tom Hogan has chosen the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes(1200m) at Randwick on April 12 as Gordon Lord Byron’s next Australian start.
Gordon Lord Byron, red cap on inside, beats Speediness in the George Ryder Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.
Gordon Lord Byron made a stunning Australian debut with Craig Williams when he came from well back in the field on the home turn to beat Speediness by a neck in the Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill last Saturday.
After the Group 1 winning Irish sprinter scored his upset win, Hogan was unsure which direction he would take with the six year old also being entered in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on the same day as the T J Smith Stakes.
Hogan told reporters after the George Ryder Stakes that Gordon Lord Byron would be at Randwick on the first day of ‘The Championships’ but was non-committal if he would step up in distance to 1600m of the Doncaster Mile or freshen up for the 1200m of the T J Smith Stakes.
“He should be fairly fit for his run here in two weeks time. That really should put him right,” Hogan said at Rosehill on Saturday.
Gordon Lord Byron has already won at Group 1 level over 1200m in September last year when he took out the £250,000 Sprint Cup at Haydock in England.
With more rain forecast for Sydney over the next couple of weeks, Hogan didn’t want to commit to running on a rain affected over the 1600m of the Doncaster Mile.
Gordon Lord Byron has been marked as a $9 chance with Ladbrokes.com.au and will join a star studded list of sprinters in the weight for age T J Smith Stakes which includes Mick Price’s latest sprinting sensation Lankan Rupee ($3.60 favourite), last Spring’s star Buffering ($6.50), $20m colt Zoustar ($7) as well as Group 1 winners Snitzerland ($10), Rebel Dane ($12), Spirit Of Boom ($14) and Steps In Time ($14).
Join up with Labbrokes.com.au in time to get the best odds for the T J Smith Stakes and the Doncaster Mile on the first day of ‘The Championships’ and make sure you sign up for the Ladbrokes Card to gain instant access to your winnings at any ATM as well as via EFTPOS outlets.
