Star apprentice jockey Zac Lloyd prepares to launch Stradbroke Handicap ‘rocket’ Stefi Magnetica

Young riding gun Zac Lloyd reckons he can snare his first Group 1 win with Stradbroke Handicap ‘rocket” Stefi Magnetica.

Apprentice Zac Lloyd, 20, has a golden chance to win his first Group 1 when he rides three-year-old filly Stefi Magnetica in the Stradbroke Handicap next Saturday. Picture: Getty Images.

Zac Lloyd has declared filly Stefi Magnetica is a lightweight Stradbroke Handicap “rocket” as the young riding gun looks to break into racing’s elite Group 1 club.

Sydney-based apprentice Lloyd, 20, has had 21 previous attempts at scoring a Group 1 but looks to have a golden chance on three-year-old Bjorn Baker-trained three-year-old Stradbroke filly Stefi Magnetica.

* Likely field, jockeys: $3 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap

Stefi Magnetica ran a huge race for fifth in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 and then finished third in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic when stuck on the inferior part of the Eagle Farm track that day.

The filly plunges in weight to 49.5kg in Saturday’s Stradbroke, although all weights appear set to go up half a kilogram.

Big upset in the Fred Best! 😮

Shamus Award filly Roll On High is back to her best!@[e-mail]/OTKKD0WItT

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 1, 2024

Outstanding apprentice rider Lloyd, who not only won the Sydney apprentice premiership last season but also claimed the prestigious Bart Cummings medal, has ridden Stefi Magnetica once before.

That was in a Benchmark race at Rosehill in February when the filly was chopped out looking for a run, only to flash home for an eye-catching third.

“I rode her that one time, I didn’t give her the greatest ride and she went enormous should have won easily,” Lloyd said.

“After that race, I said to Bjorn ‘this horse is a rocket’.

“I said she was a proper horse. When I rode her, she had won a race at Orange only a couple of starts before that.

“But she has a very, very sharp turn of foot. I know she was incredibly unlucky not to win when I rode her.

“She has since proven that, because she has been very competitive in some very good races.”

* Maher enters uncharted waters with Bella in Stradbroke

Lightweight Stradbroke Handicap “rocket” Stefi Magnetica. Picture: Bradley Photos.

Bookmakers are keeping Stefi Magnetica extremely safe in Stradbroke markets and she is a $9 chance on TAB to win Queensland’s best race at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Despite kicking off his riding career in Queensland, Lloyd, the son of former riding champion Jeff, has rarely ridden at Eagle Farm.

Bella Nipotina takes the Doomben 10,000 (G1) in a photo finish!

pic.twitter.com/nb6AzyGvOz

— IFHA's Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (@worldsbesthorse) May 18, 2024

Before Saturday’s Queensland Oaks day card where Lloyd had five rides, he had only ridden at Eagle Farm once before.

“Before Oaks day, I had only had one ride at Eagle Farm and that was in an apprentice race series,” Lloyd said.

“That was because I wanted to save my (apprentice riding) claim for Sydney.”

* Five-star J-Mac rues missed chance on Stradbroke ‘X-factor'

Zac Lloyd. Picture: Getty Images.

Stefi Magentica will be aiming to joint the likes of Private Steer (2003) and La Montagna (2006) to win the Stradbroke as a three-year-old filly.

“I’m going up to Brisbane to gallop this filly on Tuesday morning and I’m really looking forward to the week,” Lloyd said.

Originally published as Star apprentice jockey Zac Lloyd prepares to launch Stradbroke Handicap ‘rocket’ Stefi Magnetica