Gordon set for Jubilee challenge

Gordon Lord Byron attempts to better last year's fourth placing in today's Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Since that effort, Tom Hogan's stable star has added a second Group One to his CV in the Haydock Sprint Cup and struck again at the top table in Australia in March.

He subsequently struggled in Hong Kong, but his handler said: " He's been in great form since his last run at Sha Tin. I think he's showing the benefit of having a summer in Australia and because of that he's probably more forward than when he ran in this last year. He looks great and feels great.

"I'm sure he'd be able to win a Group One over five furlongs if we pointed him at one, he's got so much speed.

"He'd prefer rattling fast ground, I think. He may have form on soft but arguably his best run was at Haydock two years ago when it was like a road. There were lots of Group One winners in that race - more than this one - and he went very close. On ratings, he should be going very close.

"Slade Power will be some horse to win on this ground given how good he looked on Champions Day when it was very soft."

Aljamaaheer will be trying to prove his mettle as a top sprinter in the Diamond Jubilee.

Roger Varian's five-year-old is a high-class miler and was second in the Queen Anne at this meeting 12 months ago, but he could only manage third in the Abernant at Newmarket on his first run over six furlongs since his debut. He will wear blinkers for the first time.

Varian said: "He has been fine since the Abernant and is working very well at home. There was a chance he could have run in the Duke Of York Stakes at the Dante meeting, but the ground came up soft so we decided to give that one a swerve, and the plan since has always been to come straight here.

"We thought going into the year he could be even better over sprint distances and the Abernant was a good first try at sprinting.

"He has always shown a lot of speed at home and Paul (Hanagan), who has got to know him really well, always felt he was the kind of horse who would be able to drop back in distance. We have a lot of confidence in this horse and hope he can show everyone what a good sprinter he is."