Byron the star at Tipperary Gordon Lord Byron pays his second visit to Tipperary on Thursday when the triple-Group One winner attempts to double his tally at the venue, in the Follow @TipperaryRaces On Twitter Race. The Tom Hogan-trained star gained his third career win on his only previous race at Tipperary, winning a May handicap in 2012 when rated 90. Since then, the son of Byron has won Group Ones in France, England and Australia and had his rating climb to a high of 118. However he is without a win since last July and connections of the eight-year-old will be hoping he can see off the challenges of well-travelled Elleval, 100-rated Wychwood Warrior, Aidan O'Brien's General Macarthur and the Godolphin-owned Al Qahwa. O'Brien and his son Joseph O'Brien have a near-stranglehold on the opening Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Fillies Maiden with the pair responsible for four of the five runners. Aidan's Kiss Me Not and Promise To Be True makes their respective debuts and both are bred in the purple, with Kiss Me Not a half-sister to the yard's Group One winner Crusade while Promise To Be True is a sister to Group One winner Maybe. Joseph's Perplexity does have the benefit of two recent outings though and filled third place at Limerick 13 days ago. Elsewhere on the card, the John Oxx-trained and President of Ireland-owned Aimhirgin Lass can go one-place better than when second at Ballinrobe last time in the Pride Of Tipperary Festival Fillies Handicap.
