Newmarket plan for Gordon Gordon Lord Byron could bid for his first victory at Group level in the £80,000 Group Two Dubai Challenge Stakes at Newmarket on October 13th. The progressive four-year-old, trained by Tom Hogan, has already enjoyed two fruitful trips to England this season, winning the Listed City Of York Stakes over seven furlongs on August 25th before finishing a fine second to Society Rock in the Group One Betfred Sprint Cup over six furlongs at Haydock on September 8th. Hogan said: "We are looking at the Dubai Challenge Stakes for Gordon Lord Byron and he is in great order at home. I was expecting a very good run at Haydock and he is improving all the time but we were possibly a bit unlucky because there was no pace on our side of the draw at Haydock. "I was concerned about fast ground going into the race - I knew he wanted good ground, as he showed at York. But I wasn't sure about really fast ground. As it turned out, the ground at Haydock was absolutely perfect and although it was fast, there wasn't any jar in it. "I won't run him on heavy ground again because he got beat on that sort of ground by Fire Lily at the Curragh. "I don't think the step back up to seven furlongs at Newmarket will bother him and if the ground is good or better, we are likely to be there." The 38 entries revealed on Wednesday include a contingent of six from Aidan O'Brien's yard headed by multiple Group One winner Starspangledbanner, Sir Henry Cecil's Group One Matron Stakes scorer Chachamaidee and Group Two winners Libranno and Lethal Force. John Gosden's Group One St James's Palace Stakes third Gregorian is another notable entry along with Roger Varian's Aljamaaheer and progressive sprinter Slade Power, trained by Edward Lynam.
