‘If J-Mac wants to win it, he will’: Jockey Zac Lloyd not distracted by Sydney premiership talk
Star jockey Zac Lloyd’s growing confidence doesn’t quite extend to claiming a surprise Sydney premiership this season, despite his rapid ascent to the upper echelons of the state’s riding ranks.
Racing
Don't miss out on the headlines from Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Star jockey Zac Lloyd’s growing confidence in his riding ability doesn’t quite extend to claiming a surprise Sydney premiership this season.
Lloyd has quietly moved up to second in the premiership with 42 wins and trails defending champion James McDonald by 14 wins with more than five months of the season remaining.
But any talk of bringing McDonald’s six-season reign as Sydney’s premier jockey to an end was quickly shut down.
“If J-Mac wants to win it, he will,’’ Lloyd said when asked about the Sydney jockey premiership.
“He might be away a bit riding overseas so I guess if I can stay in touch, that is all I can ask.
“I am very happy with the way I am riding at the moment, it is all going well.’’
• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
McDonald will this weekend ride the world’s best racehorse, Hong Kong’s Romantic Warrior, in the mega-rich $30 million Saudi Cup but it is a measure of Lloyd’s growing stature in Sydney racing that he has been called in as substitute rider for Godolphin’s super colt Broadsiding in the Group 2 $400,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Lloyd, who has a full book of 10 rides at Rosehill including brilliant filly Bel Merci in the Group 2 $300,000 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m), also takes over from McDonald on the likes of Scarlet Oak and Polyglot.
The James Cummings-trained Broadsiding is the $2.10 favourite with TAB Fixed Odds to make a winning return in the Hobartville over the same course and distance he won the Golden Rose first-up last spring.
Broadsiding! The @godolphin colt becomes the first horse to win the G1 Golden Rose first-up and he is now a three-time G1 winner. That's a third Golden Rose for @mcacajamez 🔵🔵🔵 pic.twitter.com/lOM6NAi36Z
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 28, 2024
• Cummings takes next step in Leilani Lodge fight
Broadsiding has had two barrier trials in recent weeks leading into his comeback race and impressed, closing out strongly under McDonald to win a Warwick Farm trial last week.
“I galloped Broadsiding before the JJ Atkins but I haven’t been on his back since,’’ Lloyd revealed.
“But all reports are that he is going fantastic and we know he’s an outstanding colt.
“I’m really looking forward to riding him on Saturday.’’
1⃣ Broadsiding
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) February 10, 2025
2⃣ Too Darn Lizzie
3⃣ Tom Kitten
The dual Group 1 winning @godolphin star colt finishes best to win a 1000m trial at Warwick Farm on Tuesday. Behind the placings were the likes of Just Fine and Vauban. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/DmIjnZa03d
• King Of Pop makes Golden Slipper statement at Warwick Farm
Bel Merci, the brilliant Gimcrack Stakes winner, resumes in the Silver Slipper with Lloyd taking over from the suspended Chad Schofield.
Lloyd had the chance to put Bel Merci through her paces in a Kembla Grange barrier trial last week where the filly romped home by more than eight lengths.
Trainer John Thompson has readied Bel Merci for her return with three barrier trials and the filly has improved steadily with each hitout.
There were some concerns when Bel Merci appeared to hang in under pressure behind North England in a Rosehill trial earlier this month but she was back to her brilliant self at Kembla Grange.
Wow!
— Breednet (@BreednetNews) February 10, 2025
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.@JTRacingRwik@NewgateFarmpic.twitter.com/kVYE5wbjCg
• Snowden to roll dice with Gambler in Silver Slipper
“She gave me a great feel in her trial,’’ Lloyd said.
“I realise she did a bit wrong at Rosehill but I think that was a one-off and we will get to see how good she is on Saturday.’’
Lloyd is only 21 but speaks with a maturity and understanding of horses from someone born into the sport.
He’s the son of former champion jockey Jeff Lloyd and although he describes himself as a fan of all sports, he was never going to choose any other career.
“I was always going to be a jockey,’’ Zac said. “My Dad never tried to talk me out of it, he has always been very supportive.
“Everything I’ve done in my life has led me to be a jockey.’’
• Romantic Warrior faces ultimate dirt test
Lloyd made his riding debut five years ago at Dalby in rural Queensland and was immediately exposed to the fine line between success and failure in this sport.
His first race ride was a runaway eight lengths winner but after that blazing start, he came crashing back to earth – literally.
At his very next ride that same day, Lloyd fell soon after the start on the hot favourite.
Lloyd suffered only a bruised ego in the incident but it was a lesson about the ups and downs of horse racing that he has never forgotten.
Fast forward to the present, Lloyd is one of Sydney’s most talented young jockeys. He was the most successful apprentice since Wayne Harris more than 40 years ago and has made a seamless adjustment to the senior ranks.
• Autumn stars on show at Rosehill on Saturday
“The first year without a claim was always going to be the hardest,’’ Lloyd said. “I felt I did well and improved my riding.’’
Lloyd isn’t short on confidence and makes no apologies for it. Any elite sportsperson needs to have that self-belief to compete at the top level.
“I feel it is essential to have confidence in your ability if you want to be a top sportsman,’’ Lloyd said. “Some people get it, some people don’t.’’
“When I first came to Sydney, I was a bit immature and some might have thought I was a bit cocky and brash.
“I think I might have annoyed a few people but over the past six months I think I have improved in that area.’’
Lloyd relies on the advice of two people in particular who are life coaches as well as riding advisers – his father and Godolphin’s Darren Beadman, a Hall of Fame jockey.
“I talk to my Dad probably six-seven times a day,’’ Lloyd said. “I’m very fortunate to have him as a coach.
“I’m also lucky to have Darren to bounce things off as well.’’
• Kehoe outlines new plan for Slipper hope Shaggy
Beadman said a good jockey needs to have self-belief to succeed at the elite level.
“Zac’s got confidence in himself but it was a matter of harnessing that when he first moved to Sydney,’’ Beadman said.
“Let’s just say he had a bit of youthful exuberance so we had to put a rearing bit on him, a tongue tie and some blinkers!
“Seriously, one of the good things about Zac is he’s prepared to listen and learn. I want him to be confident in his ability so he can make those split-second decisions in races.’’
Lloyd takes heed of the sage advice of his father and Beadman but realises on raceday, there are no excuses.
“At the end of the day I have to perform on the day,’’ Lloyd said.
“Three months ago I wasn’t happy with the way I was riding. I was probably being a bit negative early in races and my Dad brought that up with me.
“So, recently I have tried to be closer to the run and take bad luck out of the equation.
“Each horse needs to be ridden differently but I have been more aggressive out of the gates and it is working out well.’’
Lloyd was at his brilliant best at Royal Randwick last Saturday, riding a treble including the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes on the outstanding filly Lady Shenandoah.
One for the ladies! Lady Shenandoah absolutely smashes them in the G2 TAB Light Fingers Stakes and wins with her ears pricked!@ZacLloydx | @cwallerracing | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/tfZu9PgjlC
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 15, 2025
• ‘Breaks their hearts’: Boom sprinter Private Harry on track for Group 1 tilt
It was a timely confidence boost ahead of his booking for Broadsiding and Bel Merci on Saturday – not that the young jockey needs it.
“I’m very hard on myself so if I am not riding well it annoys me more than anyone else,’’ he said.
“People say there is pressure riding good horses but I feel it actually takes a lot of pressure off because they do everything right and as a jockey you know you are on the best horse.
“’I know if I ride well with the quality of horses I’m fortunate enough to be riding at the moment the results are going to come.’’
Originally published as ‘If J-Mac wants to win it, he will’: Jockey Zac Lloyd not distracted by Sydney premiership talk
THE LAST SAY: Tips, market movers for today’s racing
Ray Thomas brings you all the key information you need to back a winner as Caulfield hosts the Blue Diamond and Futurity Stakes, while Rosehill Gardens features the Hobartville and Silver Slipper.
Star filly to show colts no Merci in Silver Slipper
When jockey Zac Lloyd got off star filly Bel Merci earlier this week he provided trainer John Thompson with a simple but ominous message ahead of Saturday’s Silver Slipper Stakes.