3 minute read
Star apprentice Zac Lloyd has been spurred on by the Group 1 deeds of his peers Tyler Schiller and Dylan Gibbons this autumn carnival and hopes his entry into the Group 1 club isn’t too far away.
But as keen as he is the 19-year-old knows he only has four Group 1 rides under his belt to date and it'll be five when he partners Electric Girl in the $1.5m Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
While he can't help but wonder what might have been with his Sydney Cup mount Gin Martini having to be scratched, he said watching Dylan Gibbons win the race served only as an encouragement that his turn will come.
"You don't want to be the one left behind, it'd be good to get one soon,'' Zac Lloyd said.
"It was great seeing him win and we all congratulated him. But he's got one up on me. It was a great thrill to watch and it's my main goal to win one."
Electric Girl is responsible for Lloyd's biggest win in the Group 2 Millie Fox and one of his two Group 1 placings to date – still not a bad strike rate of being in the finish for a 2kg claiming apprentice – when she ran third in the Canterbury Stakes last month.
The mare since finished near the tail in the Group 1 George Ryder and, though he didn't ride her that day, Lloyd is being forgiving of that run.
"I'm excited to get back on her, we have a good association and hopefully she runs another good race,'' he said.
"We only were beaten a length to Artorius and that good Kiwi mare (in the Canterbury Stakes) so she is racing well.
"On face value it's not disappointing, two and a half lengths behind Anamoe, but watching she looked to go a bit keen out in front. It was a stronger race than the Canterbury Stakes but she battled on all right."
It's been eight years since a mare has won the All Aged, Electric Girl was a $26 chance with TAB on Thursday, and that was Japanese mare Hana's Goal in 2014 while English won the race as a three-year-old filly in 2016.
Lloyd said barrier two is a perfect draw for Electric Girl and will afford him the chance to give the six-year-old every hope to be in the finish in a strong race.
"She jumps fast and if something would like to lead that'd probably be better but she can lead and take it up,'' he said.
"She tries very hard and if she's not winning she'll be close enough, she always puts in her best so it's good to be on a horse like that."
It's already been a stunning season for Lloyd, sitting second on the Sydney Jockeys Premiership with 49 winners, and he's keen to continue his association with Godolphin galloper Tamerlane in the Petaluma Handicap (1400m) after a soft second-up win three weeks ago.
It was Lloyd's third ride on the five-year-old, for two wins and a second, and he said the way the horse relaxes now he's confident he can continue moving through the grades.
"I really like him, he's developing as he gets older,'' he said.
"A year ago he was very keen and struggling in his races but he's maturing really well and this prep he's come back well.
"He trialled super, his first-up effort was good then he put them to the sword second-up. When I trialled him this prep I said to the team he's a proper horse now, he knows what he's doing."
Tamerlane, $4.40 with TAB on Thursday, has a slightly awkward draw to contend with Lloyd said because he's relaxing well he can be positioned wherever necessary.
"There wasn't much speed last time so we took it up and he relaxed well and won very easily,'' he said.
"I don't think it matters whether he leads, or box seats, or is one out one back."
