The gret Gordon Lord Byron passes away
By Shane Brophy
One of the most popular horses on the local racing scene, Gordon Lord Byron has died.
Trained by Tom Hogan near Nenagh and owned by the Cahalan family from Ballingarry, the 12-year-old was being prepared for his seasonal return in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh next weekend, when he sustained what is believed to have been a heart attack during morning exercise on Tuesday.
He was a special horse for both owners and trainer, having recovered from life-threatening injury to his pelvis on his racecourse debut to win 16 races from 108 starts, including Group 1 races around the world.
He was bought as a foal for just €2000 and won for the first time in Dundalk in 2011, before going onto rapidly improve and within a year he was in listed company with his first big win coming in the City of York Stakes in 2012. Later that year he won his first group 1 race in the Prix de la Loret at Longchamps, becoming the first Irish horse to do so in over 40 years.
It began his love affair with international travel, running in races in seven different countries, including Australia where he won the group 1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill in 2014, still the only European horse to win a Group 1 sprint race down under.
He also won the Sprint Cup at Haydock but the Curragh was his most successful track, including back-to-back Minstrel Stakes in 2015 and 2016.
He also won the Sprint Cup at Haydock but the Curragh was his most successful track, including back-to-back Minstrel Stakes in 2015 and 2016.
His last victory was in the Greenland Stakes at the Curragh in 2017 but continued to race as it was what he liked to do, running no fewer than fourteen times in 2019, placed in five of the races, bringing his earnings to over €2 million in prize money.
More on the passing of a once in a life time horse in next weeks edition.