Gordon Lord Byron rolled back the years at The Curragh on Sunday as he put up his best performance in almost two seasons when tenaciously denying David Nicholls’ British raider Sovereign Debt by half a length to record back-to-back successes in the Group Two Minstrel Stakes.
The son of Byron passed the post second in this race 12 months ago but was awarded the win following the disqualification of Home Of The Brave.
Tom Hogan, who has trained the eight-year-old to his 15 career victories, was delighted but not surprised, despite his charge being returned at odds of 16-1. He said: “I thought if he was right he was well capable of beating those. I didn’t think there was a Group One horse in against him and on his day he’s still a Group One horse. In his work he showed he was as good as ever.
“He’s had lifelong problems with allergies and in the spring we thought we were losing the battle. He’ll probably come back for a Group Three [Phoenix Sprint Stakes] here in August and he’ll go back to Haydock for the Sprint Cup.”
Bocca Baciata was given a well-judged ride by Colm O’Donoghue to get up and deny Aidan O’Brien’s challenger, Earring, to win the second Group Two race on the card, the Kilboy Estate Stakes, for the trainer Jessie Harrington.
The daughter of Big Bad Bob had previously run second to the brilliant filly Minding in the Pretty Polly Stakes and, with nothing of her calibre in the field on Sunday she landed her first race at this elevated level.
Bocca Baciata is likely to pick up plenty of air miles now as connections go in search of that first Group One. Harrington said: “They didn’t give her an easy lead. She took a while to get going and another 100 yards would suit her.
“Races like the Beverly D at Arlington [Park], the EP Taylor [at Woodbine] and the Prix de l’Opera [at Chantilly] are all possible targets.”
O’Brien, who had won the Irish Oaks 24 hours earlier with Seventh Heaven, is planning another big-race challenge this Saturday as he confirmed that Highland Reel was likely to be his sole runner in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Highland Reel has been a real standard bearer overseas for Ballydoyle with successes in the Arlington Million [at Arlington Park, Chicago] and the Hong Kong Vase [at Sha Tin]. O’Brien, who has won Ascot’s midsummer championship three times, said: “Sir Isaac Newton is in there [the King George] but Highland Reel may be our only runner.”
Postponed, looking to become only the third horse to win the King George in successive seasons, is now 4-7 for the Ascot showpiece while Highland Reel is generally an 8-1 shot, but 10s in a place.
