Minor issue sees Gordon Lord Byron sidestep planned Meydan return

Gordon Lord Byron has been ruled out of Thursday's Longines Dolce Vita (Handicap) at Meydan after meeting with a minor setback.The triple Group One winner was set to make his first start at the track since March 2013 in the seven-furlong heat, but trainer Tom Hogan is now hoping to have him back in action next week . Hogan said: "Gordon Lord Byron was due to run on Thursday night but had a little hiccup after travelling out here. He will probably wait until next Thursday now."Although the nine-year-old failed to feature in his final few starts in 2016, the Fattheen handler believes a return to a faster surface will see him in a much better light.Hogan added: "Things didn't go right in his last couple of runs. He got good ground at the Curragh and he ran really well (won Group Two Minstrel Stakes last July) . "He needs good fast ground now. He has not got the legs to pull it out on slow or dead ground. It is a great surface out here and he should love it."There are plenty of nice horses out here, but hopefully we can be competitive."