Canterbury preview: Star young rider Zac Lloyd returns from suspension and is looking to hit the ground running with key rides

Zac Lloyd is facing some stiff opposition from a couple of close mates in the Sydney apprentice premiership but he can extend his lead with some good rides at Canterbury on Wednesday.

Talented apprentice Zac Lloyd returns from suspension with a good book of rides at Canterbury on Wednesday as he looks to increase his lead in the Sydney apprentice premiership. Picture: Getty Images

Zac Lloyd’s lead in the Sydney apprentice premiership is still intact as he returns from a three-week suspension at Canterbury Park on Wednesday.

The teenager earned the stewards ire when weighing in light after Sweet Mercy had run third at the Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting late last month.

Sweet Mercy was subsequently disqualified from her placing and Lloyd has had to cool his heels on the sidelines for three weeks.

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Zac Lloyd (second from left) with his great mates Tyler Schiller (left), Reece Jones (red silks) and Dylan Gibbons (right). Picture: Racing NSW

There has been a silver lining from the Hawkesbury incident with Sweet Mercy scoring a deserved win at Rosehill last Saturday and Lloyd is still on top of the apprentice premiership with 55 wins.

But defending champion Tyler Schiller and Dylan Gibbons have closed to within three wins of Lloyd with the title likely to be on the line until the final meeting of the season at Randwick on July 29.

This is the first time in Sydney racing history that three apprentices have ridden 50 or more city winners in the same season and they trail only champion jockey James McDonald (88 wins) in the jockey premiership.

“We are all good friends and we enjoy each other’s success,” Lloyd said. “With Tyler and Dylan riding so well, it’s going to be tough to hold them out but I’ll be trying my best.”

Lloyd kept busy during his suspension period with Godolphin trainer James Cummings sending the apprentice to Melbourne to ride work for a week.

“I had never ridden at Flemington before so it was a good experience riding trackwork there,” Lloyd said.

Cummings has provided Lloyd with his first city rides back from suspension in the two juvenile races that open the Canterbury card - Relatives is resuming in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1100m) and Mogwai makes his debut in the TAB Handicap (1250m).

Relatives had two starts back in December, finishing third behind unbeaten The Novelist in very fast time at Kembla over 1000m before her fourth at Canberra to Miss Belgium.

“I went to Canberra to ride Relatives at her second start and thought she would just win,” Lloyd said.

Zac Lloyd will partner Bat Out Of Hell at Canterbury on Wednesday. Picture: Bradley Photos

“It was disappointing when she didn’t but I remember she was a very small filly at the time.

“I’ve ridden her since she has returned to work and physically she has grown, she is a much stronger filly now.”

Relative is by Darley’s champion racehorse and sire Lonhro out of the Sepoy mare Nipotina and is closely related to Group 1 winners Hauraki and Kidnapped. TAB Fixed Odds price assessors have the Godolphin youngster at $14 early betting behind the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Zoukerette at $2.25 favourite.

Mogwai hasn’t been tested in his three trials but Lloyd has ridden the colt twice at trackwork in recent days and is looking forward to partnering the colt under race conditions.

“I rode him at trackwork last week and he gave me a nice feel,” Lloyd said.

Mogwai is by Epaulette, the dual Group 1-winning sprinter who was exported to Turkey to stand at stud, out of the Savabeel mare Gremlin who is from the same family as Group 1 winners Katie Lee and Banchee.

Cummings has been the leading trainer of two-year-olds this season with 29 winners also has entered another Epaulette colt, Parade Ground, an impressive Hawkesbury barrier trial winner earlier this month and the $5.50 favourite with Mogwai at $11.

Lloyd has rides for four other stables at the Canterbury meeting including the Maher and Eustace-trained Bat Out Of Hell ($6) in the Ranvet Handicap (1250m).

Trainer Edward Cummings is using Lloyd’s 1.5kg claim to reduce consistent mare Queenmaker’s 60.5kg impost for the Paulele At Darley Handicap (1900m).

The star apprentice’s booking also reduces the Richard and Will Freedman-trained Pharaoh’s Reign’s handicap to 60.5kg for the Admire Mars At Arrowfield Handicap (1550m).

Lloyd also rides the Sara Ryan-trained So Good So Cool in the Exceedance At Vinery Stud Handicap (1250m).

LEES BREAK WITH CONVENTION AS HE SETS FILLY FOR A CANTERBURY DEBUT

Trainer Kris Lees is going against his normal practice with the debut run of superbly-bred filly First Person in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1100m) at Canterbury on Wednesday.

“This is First Person’s first preparation and usually I don’t send them to the races after just one ‘prep’,” Lees said.

“But she has done everything right, she’s a really nice, progressive filly, and she’s ready to be tested under race conditions.”

First Person is by Vinery Stud’s outstanding stallion All Too Hard, sire of Group 1 winners Alligator Blood, Behemoth and Forbidden Love, out of the Fastnet Rock mare Personify, making the Lees-trained filly a half-sister to VRC Oaks winner Personal.

Trainer Kris Lees has liked what he has seen from First Person who debuts at Canterbury on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

Lees already has some experience with the family having trained another of First Person’s half-siblings, the gelding Selectify to win four races including at Warwick Farm and Rosehill.

First Person has shown natural speed in her two barrier trials, including her runaway win by nearly five lengths in a Muswellbrook heat two weeks ago convincing Lees she is ready to make her race debut.

“I know it was only a country trial and they are different level to a provincial or city trial but she did win very easily,” Lees said.

“She ran right away from them without being pressured.”

First Person has been kept “safe” in overnight TAB Fixed Odds betting at $7.50 behind the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Zoukerette at $2.30 favourite.

Lees is also sending the handy mare Azarmin to the Canterbury midweek meeting for the Admire Mars at Arrowfield Handicap (1550m).

Azarmin, a rising eight-year-old by Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom, was retired to stud last spring but failed to get in foal to Wootton Basset.

Lees brought the mare back into work earlier this year and she has managed one minor placing in four starts.

“She’s actually going well and has won at Canterbury before,” Lees said.

Azarmin is rated a $12 chance in betting behind the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Celestial Spirit at $2.70 favourite.