Zac Lloyd to take over from Chad Schofield on Bel Merci in Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes

The Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes winner wasn’t at her best in a trial last week but trainer John Thompson is confident Bel Merci is on song for next week with Zac Lloyd booked to ride.

Bel Merci is on track for the Golden Slipper. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images.

Trainer John Thompson has turned to in-form jockey Zac Lloyd to take the reins on Bel Merci after his star filly gave a timely Golden Slipper reminder on Monday.

Bel Merci on Monday showed her Slipper credentials with an eye-catching trial victory at Kembla Grange with Lloyd aboard.

Lloyd will replace Chad Schofield in Saturday week’s Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens after the latter picked up a careless riding suspension in the final event last Saturday at Royal Randwick.

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“We had to get somebody else and Zac was good enough to go down and trial her to get a feel for her,” Thompson said.

“He’s going to ride her in the race and they go on well.”

Wow!
Golden Slipper chance Bel Merci (2f Extreme Choice x Bel Mer) stunning in her Kembla trial this morning.
8.3 lens.

2nd horse Tuscany started fav in Breeders Plate at only start for 5th.@[e-mail]/kVYE5wbjCg

— Breednet (@BreednetNews) February 10, 2025

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Bel Merci drifted in Golden Slipper betting to $17 after laying in during a trial behind North England last week.

It was the brilliant Gimcrack Stakes winner’s first trip away from home and Thompson believes that could have been a factor in the filly’s uncharacteristic display.

“It was a shock at Rosehill,” Thompson said.

“I think it shocked Chad more than anyone because she is so straightforward.

“We wanted to give her a second trip away to tick that box and she was fantastic.”

“She pulled up well.”

Several Golden Slipper hopefuls here.

1 - North England (2c Farnan x Our Belisa) for @GaiWaterhouse1. Flying. Has disappeared from @inglis_sales Millennium markets. Firmed in Slipper markets after this.

2 - Bel Merci (2f Extreme Choice x Bel Mer)
3 - Pallaton (2c Wootton… pic.twitter.com/dEH82BXQyl

— Breednet (@BreednetNews) February 2, 2025

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Thompson plans to accept with another of his two-year-olds, Melanite, in Saturday’s Pierro Plate (1100m) at Royal Randwick.

Melanite finished fifth in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes but Thompson is expecting a much improved showing if the son of Dirty Work lines up on Saturday.

“Melanite has improved out of sight,” Thompson said.

“He had the one soft trial and it was nearly a month until he ran but he raced a bit fresh.

“He had to work a bit in the first half of the race, stuck wide and had to work forward outside the leader but just got tired.”

Thompson will decide after acceptances whether Melanite will line up with stiff competition expected in the Pierro Plate.

Golden Slipper favourite Wodeton plus unbeaten colts Pallaton and Comedy are also among the nominations for the race.

Originally published as Zac Lloyd to take over from Chad Schofield on Bel Merci in Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes