Jeff Lloyd skips family holiday to focus on snaring Brisbane jockeys’ premiership

WHEN rising 55-year-old Jeff Lloyd sniffed a premiership glimpse a couple of months ago, he made the tough call to sacrifice a fully paid family holiday to pursue what would be a dream result.

WHEN rising 55-year-old Jeff Lloyd sniffed a premiership glimpse a couple of months ago, he made the tough call to sacrifice a fully paid family holiday to pursue what would be a dream result.

Lloyd has won multiple premierships in Mauritius and South Africa, but to become the oldest rider to win the Queensland title would be extra special, given his career was all but over following a stroke in 2013.

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With the pick of the mounts on paper, Lloyd could put the premiership to bed at Doomben on Saturday, leaving Jim Byrne too big a margin to claw back in the final two meetings.

It’s been a Lazarus-like comeback from Lloyd after his stroke.

Lloyd’s manager Cameron Partington recalls the prolific Group 1 winner was anything but an easy sell when he took him on.

“The first three months with Jeff was hard yards. Trainers didn’t want him,” Partington said. “These good jockeys never forget how to ride. If they are riding winners the perception is they are going well and that’s what’s happened with Jeff this season.

“He’s not riding any better now than when no one wanted him. If you get put on the right horse, you’re going to look a lot better.”

Riders often play down the importance of winning premierships, but Lloyd has left Partington in no doubt as to what this would mean for him.

Jeff Lloyd has turned back the clock this season. Picture: Darren England

“I would have spoken to him 40 times (on Thursday) to the point where I told him to leave me alone,” Partington said. “Jeff has been very focused on it. Once he got within striking distance, he decided not to go on an overseas family holiday he had planned six months earlier.

“He gave his ticket away to his mother-in-law, and his wife and kids went to Hong Kong, Vietnam and there was also a cruise involved too. Jeffrey stayed at home and batched. That was a sacrifice he was prepared to make for this.

“He would really love to win it. He probably never thought he would win one here.”

UBET has Lloyd at $1.25 to win the premiership and he is $2.40 to take out Saturday’s Doomben Jockey Challenge.

Partington concedes Lloyd is the deserved favourite, but said if he happened to come up short on expectations on Saturday, stablemate Byrne has the better rides lined up for the remaining two meetings.

“Put it this way, if Jim was the one who was three in front it would be put down the glasses,” Partington said. “Jim has a good book lined up for Wednesday, whereas at this stage, Jeff’s looks a bit thin. If I were to put a number on it, I would think Jim could ride five winners to about three for Jeff in the meetings we have left.”