Irish eyes were smiling as raider Gordon Lord Byron surged to record a historic win in the $1 million Group 1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill Gardens.
In Sydney for The Championships, Gordon Lord Byron declared he will be a force to be reckoned with in either the TJ Smith Stakes or Doncaster Mile after powering to the line in his Australian debut to defeat Speediness with El Roca third and Sacred Falls fourth.
“It’s fabulous. I said jokingly a couple of months ago that the plan for him this year was to win a Group 1 race in Australia, one in Asia, one in Europe and one in America. So we’ve got the first one,” said trainer Tom Hogan.
“He’s won nicely (on Saturday) and hopefully he’ll improve a little from the run.
“I was very happy and quite confident with him leading into (Saturday)’s race he looked great.
“We’ve had great help here. The facilities have been wonderful. Just quarantine has been a bit long. Thoroughbred racehorses are probably the healthiest animals in the world and they’re still treated like donkeys when it goes to quarantine and departments of agriculture.
“Craig [Williams] said to me you can go anyway (TJ Smith or Doncaster) you like and you’ll win either.
“It will be big news back home in Ireland, we don’t like to really blow things up until they happen so now we can really celebrate.”
Williams got a feel of Gordon Lord Byron in quarantine at Werribee and was delighted to get the results for connections.
“They gave me an opportunity so I could further understand Gordon Lord Byron and most importantly they didn’t come for that movie Let It Ride otherwise I would not have been on his back,” he said.
“Full credit to the preparation they did he is pretty much first up in a Group 1 Weight-for-age 1500m in a new place they have done a fantastic job.
“I was really looking forward to him coming to Sydney he’s got a two pronged attack and they have decisions to make now where to go with him but thanks to Tom Hogan and the owners for giving me the opportunity its a big thrill to win a Group 1 in the autumn in Sydney.
“A special thanks to John Messara and his committee for introducing The Championships which encouraged a horse like Gordon Lord Byron the trainer and the owners to come out here and I think it has worked out really well.
“It might just open up the door to the Irish.
“We are going to see him during The Championships, depends on where Tom (Hogan) wants to take him and I can’t wait for another ride on him.”
– Racing Network
