Gordon Lord Byron© Photo Healy Racing
Tom Hogan has no plans to call time on Gordon Lord Byron's stellar career just yet ahead of his appearance in Sunday's Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh.
A Group One winner in Britain, France and Australia in his pomp, the admirable eight-year-old has proved he is no back number this summer with a conditions race success at Tipperary and a heartwarming Group Two triumph in the Minstrel Stakes at this venue in July.
He has since come up short on his return to the highest level in both the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville and the Sprint Cup at Haydock and he was unable to get competitive on his latest start in the Boomerang Stakes at Leopardstown.
However, Hogan is hopeful he can make his presence felt back over six furlongs this weekend.
"He's in great form. He did a piece of work here (Curragh) on Tuesday morning and he's in very good order," the trainer told At The Races.
"He's getting fresher the older he is and was a bit too fresh the last day he ran.
"We'll keep running him while he's well and healthy and he'll win an odd day, which will be great.
"He's taken us to Australia, Hong Kong, Dubai, France and England. He's taken me to places I'd never dreamt of going to.
"There's plenty of life in the old dog yet and hopefully he'll run a nice race on Sunday."
Gordon Lord Byron faces eight rivals in this Group Two contest, with Kevin Ryan's Goken, the Henry Candy-trained filly La Rioja and Jane's Memory from Rae Guest's yard all making the trip from Britain.
The home team includes Aidan O'Brien's The Happy Prince and Ken Condon's course and distance winner In Salutem, who steps back up in trip after finishing fifth in the Flying Five here a fortnight ago.
Condon said: "He's been in good form and ran a good race the last day. The race developed in the centre of the track and he had to race on his own on the stands' side, but overall we were happy.
"He proved he's up to running at this level and it's a small field on Sunday.
"I just hope the ground doesn't get too soft. If the ground is right, he should run a good race."
