Ascot the plan for Gordon Lord Byron Trainer Tom Hogan is keeping his fingers crossed Gordon Lord Byron gets the rub of the green at Royal Ascot next month after welcoming his stable star back from his travels over the weekend. Hogan boldly decided to send his pride and joy to Australia earlier in the year and it proved an excellent call as Gordon Lord Byron clinched his third Group One victory in the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill at the end of March. He ran creditably in the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick a couple of weeks later, but was unable to make an impact from a wide draw in Hong Kong's Champions Mile at Sha Tin earlier this month. The six-year-old is now back on Irish soil and Hogan is looking forward to a tilt at Ascot's Diamond Jubilee Stakes on June 21st. Hogan said: "He's back home and he seems in absolutely tremendous order. "He had a hack round this morning and is very well and fresh and himself - he looks fit enough to run. "We've removed the Hong Kong race from our minds. It's one of those races you'd rather forget about. Royal Ascot is definitely the plan, as long as the ground is good. He wouldn't run there if it went soft. "Last year he was drawn on the wrong side in the Jubilee and he was unlucky the year before in the Wokingham as well. "Hopefully he'll get a bit more luck when he goes back there for the third time."
