Title winner Jeff Lloyd reveals son Jaden keeps him grounded with some harsh observations

PREMIERSHIP winner Jeff Lloyd has revealed his harshest critic is not an owner, trainer or even himself, but his son Jaden.

Nathan Exelby

2 min read

July 31, 2016 - 4:00PM

Family ties: Jeff Lloyd with his greatest admirers and harshest critic, sons Zac (left) and Jaden (right), after he won the last race on Saturday. Picture: Natasha Wood, Trackside Photography

PREMIERSHIP winner Jeff Lloyd has revealed his harshest critic is not an owner, trainer or even himself, but his son Jaden, who offers unfiltered words of advice at the end of each race day.

Lloyd starts on Monday a nine-day suspension incurred at Doomben on Saturday and he intends to use the time to relax and reflect on his record-breaking achievement of winning the metropolitan jockeys’ premiership as a 54-year-old.

But once that time is up, he will be back in the saddle, with no intention of slowing down.

“When you are riding this well and things are going well, what am I going to do? It’s not as if I’m battling pain or battling with weight,” he said on Radio TAB’s Past The Post on Sunday.

“At the moment I am enjoying it and the challenge that comes with it makes me want to keep on doing it as long as I can.”

Jaden Lloyd was able to assess his dad’s work from a closer proximity on Saturday, being at the races, where he no doubt would have approved of the winning double, but also found fault with some of his losing rides.

“He really studies form and he likes to let you know what he’s thinking,” Lloyd said.

“Jaden will often say ‘why didn’t you change your whip in that race?’ or ‘don’t you think you were going a bit fast in front?’ I say ‘hey leave me alone!’ I’ve probably just been sacked by the owner and then I hear it from him too!”

Jeff Lloyd gets home aboard Sagaronne in the final event at Doomben. Picture: Natasha Wood, Trackside Photography

Lloyd credits swimming as a key part of his rehabilitation after suffering a serious stroke in 2013.

“I couldn’t walk very far but I could swim. So I started swimming and I hate swimming, but eventually I got myself swimming about 1km a day and that got me going,” he said.

“I still hate swimming now. I’m useless. They say when you practise you get better, but it improved nothing.

“But that showed me I was capable of pushing myself a bit further until I felt good enough to ride work and I came home one day after that and said to (wife) Nicola ‘I think I’m right’.

“Nicola knows how much it meant to me. To have her there (at Doomben on Saturday) with the kids and all our friends, it was great.”

When you are riding this well and things are going well, what am I going to do?