Latest news with #ZacLloyd
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Bjorn Baker doesn't want to miss his chance to be at Eagle Farm on Saturday to defend his Stradbroke crown.
Bjorn Baker was 16,000km away when he won the Stradbroke Handicap last year. But he won't miss his chance to be at Eagle Farm on Saturday as he vies to become the first trainer to win back-to-back Stradbroke Handicap crowns in 15 years. The high-flying Sydney trainer was in England last year for the wedding of jockey Rachel King when $16 chance Stefi Magnetica crossed the line first, with Zac Lloyd onboard. King would have almost certainly had jagged the ride if she wasn't tying the knot but in a sliding-doors moment, Lloyd grabbed the unexpected opportunity to score his maiden Group 1 victory. This year, Baker will pin his hopes on five-year-old gelding Robusto, with three-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy to ride the $26 shot. 'No doubt we're going to need some luck from the wide gate (barrier 18) but it's one of those time-honoured races,' said Baker, who can become the first trainer to successfully defend a Stradbroke title since Con Karakatsanis in 2010 with Black Piranha. 'You come back as the defending champion and it's pretty amazing. 'One thing last year, when I won the Brisbane Cup and the Straddie on the same day I was actually in the UK so it'll be nice to be on track to win a big race like that.' Robusto will go into the Stradbroke first up, having not raced since being runner-up to Waterford in the $500,000 The Lakes (1600m) at Wyong on January 11, but neither Baker or McEvoy are concerned. 'He's had two good trials and a gallop between races so I don't think I could have him much fitter first up,' Baker said about the Group 2 The Ingham (1600m) winner from last December at Randwick. 'Look, he's been a great addition to the stable for (syndicators) Darby Racing and we're very grateful to have him.' Darby bought Robusto for $160,000 on Inglis Digital in September after he had delivered six wins and eight placings from 29 starts for Sydney's premier trainer Chris Waller. In seven starts for his new stable, Robusto has earned $1.6m in prizemoney, with the bulk of that haul coming from his victory in The Ingham. McEvoy said he was quietly confident about his Stradbroke chances, with Robusto carrying a lightweight 52.5kg and being 'a fresh horse on the scene'. 'I think Bjorn has him primed to run at a really high level,' he said. 'He's had a fair few trials and I rode him in a race-course gallop at Warwick Farm and he performed well. 'I think with 52.5kg on his back he's in with a shout for sure in what looks to be a really open race. 'Bjorn has got this horse going to a new level since he got him. He's really gone gangbusters and he looks in good condition. 'I don't mind the fact that he's a fresh horse on the scene. Whether he's good enough, we'll find out but it'd be nice to have a good run in transit and give the horse every chance.' Baker said he was still pinching himself about his 'unbelievable' golden run in which he will chase his fourth Group 1 of the season in Saturday's Stradbroke. 'A couple of things I really wanted to do this year is win one of the majors in The Championships in Sydney and I was lucky enough to win two (the Doncaster Mile with Stefi Magnetica and the Sydney Cup with Arapaho). 'I guess winning the Magic Millions (with O' Ole in January) is very special so it's been a remarkable season. 'I'm very lucky I've got some nice horses, a great team around me and some really good clients.'
News.com.au
12-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Jaden Lloyd and brother Zac chasing Group 1 double dream on Stradbroke Handicap day
Jaden Lloyd doesn't want to tempt fate but admits the thought of him and younger brother Zac both winning Group 1 races on the same day has crossed his mind. The 21-year-old Zac rides $19 chance Bosustow in the Stradbroke Handicap as the defending champion in the 1400m major after winning on Stefi Magnetica last year. Jaden will jump on board $34 shot Call Da Vinci in the earlier JJ Atkins (1600m) for two-year-olds. • 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! 'I'd drop the mic, I'd retire,' Jaden joked about the possibility of both brothers winning their respective Group 1s. 'It would be unbelievable. Zac was here on Tuesday night and my partner (fellow jockey Courtney Ferris) mentioned that. 'Even if I can't win, at least if Zac can win the Stradbroke it'd be great.' Jaden, 23, will ride in his third Group 1 on Saturday after previous shots in the 2023 Oakleigh Plate at Sandown on Shooting For Gold (11th place) and the Tatt's Tiara on Electric Girl (16th) at Eagle Farm in the same year. • Larrikin truck driver has suit and speech ready for Stradbroke dream His proud parents Nicola and legendary former jockey Jeff will make a rare appearance at the racetrack on Saturday to watch their sons ride on Stradbroke day. 'Even if he comes he normally just stays in the car,' Jaden said of his dad, who won 15 Group 1s around the world before retiring in 2019. 'He doesn't like socialising with a lot of people. He'd rather stick to himself and chill in the car.' Apprentice jockey Jaden Lloyd winning aboard Call Da Vinci at Ipswich last month. Picture' Trackside Photography Jaden has settled into life on the Gold Coast after riding stints in Singapore and NSW, trying to land as many rides in the city as possible. He's been plugging away at provincial tracks such as Beaudesert, Ipswich, Gatton, Warwick, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast. • Ownership group split over Front Page's bid for Stradbroke glory 'I came back to Queensland knowing it was going to be very hard,' said Lloyd, who reckons Sunshine Coast is the best provincial track in the state. 'You've just got to try and find the right people to work for who are loyal. It's been hard trying to build those relationships but I'm slowly getting there.' The Bevan Laming-trained Call Da Vinci will jump from barrier 14 against a quality field led by local chances Cool Archie ($3.40) and Grafterburners ($8). The gelding beat Ciaron Maher's well-backed favourite Navy Pilot in the Sacred Elixir Handicap (1350m) at Ipswich last month before an impressive third in the Group 2 BRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm. 'I've done all the work on him, even before he raced I did his first jumpouts, and the Lamings (Bevan and son Richard) are very loyal,' Lloyd said. 'I was very confident in keeping the ride (for the JJ Atkins), even though I knew other jockeys would be trying to get on him. 'There's no pressure really, he's a bit of an outsider, although I think he should be shorter odds than what he is. 'I'm quietly confident that the horse has the ability to win the race if things go our way. 'He's going to put in 100 per cent because he's a very tenacious horse and hopefully he's good enough to win it.' Originally published as Jaden Lloyd and brother Zac chasing Group 1 double dream on Stradbroke Handicap day
News.com.au
10-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Jeff Lloyd will be trackside to watch son Zac Llloyd's bid for back-to-back Stradbroke Handicap wins
Legendary jockey Jeff Lloyd hasn't been to the races in Queensland since his son Zac won his first Group 1 in last year's Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm. But he and wife Nicola will be there with bells on this Saturday when Zac aims to become the first jockey to win back-to-back Stradbroke crowns since Jim Cassidy on Rough Habit in 1992. The Lloyds will be hoping history repeats itself, and Jeff isn't willing to tempt fate by staying away from Queensland's premier racetrack. Zac Lloyd will ride the Annabel and Rob Archibald -trained colt Bosustow in Queensland's greatest race over 1400m this weekend. 'Yeah I'll definitely be back,' Jeff Lloyd said shortly after son Zac had jumped on the colt for the first time at trackwork early on Tuesday morning. 'I haven't been back since last year. I don't go to the races any more. 'I might have gone once in Sydney when I went down to visit Zac. 'I much prefer to stay at home. I just feel like you see more on TV and you can sit and do your own thing.' The winner of 15 Group 1s all over the world before his retirement as a jockey in 2019, Jeff Lloyd now manages his sons Zac, who rides mainly in Sydney, and Gold Coast-based Jaden. Zac Lloyd said he phoned Rosemont Stud boss Anthony Mithen straight after Bosustow's six-length romp in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) last month to request the Stradbroke ride and he was booked the next day. Bosustow was plain in the rescheduled Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1350m) last Wednesday when finishing sixth as winner Spicy Martini jagged a golden ticket into the Stradbroke. But Zac Lloyd isn't concerned, saying he has full faith in the Archibalds to have the colt peaking at exactly the right time. 'I was booked in early because I was very confident that he's the right horse for the Stradbroke,' said Lloyd, who will ride Bosustow at 51.5kg in the $3m Stradbroke. 'Obviously his Fred Best run was a bit below-par but good trainers don't peak their horses the start before. 'He's a pleasure to ride. He's still a colt so he holds a lot of value. 'If he can win a Group 1 then that will just boost his stallion potential. 'If he can get up on Saturday it'll be massive for myself, Annabel and Rob and his owners.' Lloyd still has fond memories of his maiden Group 1 victory on the Bjorn Baker-trained Stefi Magnetica last year at $16, especially with his parents watching on. 'The Stradbroke is Queensland's premier race so to win it once was good, but twice will be better,' he said on a cold Brisbane morning on Tuesday. 'It was a special day that. I had my parents on track and they don't normally go to the races. 'It's a day I won't forget and definitely the top win of my career so far. To get the opportunity to do it again is pretty special.'
Daily Telegraph
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Zac booked for mission to score consecutive Stradbroke Handicaps
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Young Sydney riding gun Zac Lloyd has a golden opportunity to become the first jockey since the great Jimmy Cassidy more than three decades ago to win back-to-back Stradbroke Handicaps. But Lloyd, who scored his first Group 1 when pinching last year's Stradbroke on Stefi Magnetica, must help haul three-year-old colt Bosustow back to the imposing form which saw him be a six-length winner two starts ago. Bosustow, the three-year-old colt who destroyed his opposition in the Gold Coast Guineas, was single figure odds in Stradbroke betting markets before he was well beaten in the rescheduled Group 3 Fred Best Classic at Doomben last Wednesday. Bosustow started the $2.45 Fred Best favourite but finished sixth, 1-1/2 lengths behind the Toby Edmonds and Stephen McLean-trained filly Spicy Martini which qualified for the Stradbroke with the win. Annabel and Rob Archibald are pushing on with Stradbroke plans for Bosustow which has now drifted to be a $15 chance in Queensland's greatest race next Saturday. Managing owner Anthony Mithen points out that Bosustow was beaten about the same margin in the Fred Best as Stefi Magnetica was a year earlier, before that horse came out and won the Stradbroke with Lloyd on board. Lloyd has been booked for Bosustow and now gets a chance to be the first jockey since Cassidy won the Stradbroke on the mighty Rough Habit in 1991 and 1992 to score consecutive Stradbroke triumphs. Lloyd will link with Bosustow for the first time and Rob Archibald remains convinced the colt can be a major player in the Stradbroke. 'Maybe the Fred Best run was just a little bit below what we expected, but we weren't too disappointed,' Archibald said. 'He was a month between runs and the race was rescheduled and things were mucked around a little bit. 'He may have been just a touch underdone second-up, but he can certainly bounce back third-up in the Stradbroke. 'He gets into the Stradbroke with a nice weight (51.5kg) although it's all relative I suppose. 'Zac hasn't ridden him before, but he did win the Stradbroke last year and we are really happy to have him on.' Bosustow wins the Gold Coast Guineas. Picture: Bethany Allday/Trackside Photography. Lloyd will jet into Brisbane on Tuesday morning and give Bosustow a spin around Eagle Farm at the Stradbroke 'Breakfast With The Stars' trackwork session. There is a week of fine weather forecast for Brisbane and the prospects of a rain-affected Eagle Farm track on Stradbroke day look slim. Bosustow was dominant in the Gold Coast Guineas on a heavy (9) track but the camp say he is much more than just a wet tracker. On the morning of the Guineas, they had even been considering scratching Bosustow because they weren't convinced he would handle the sloppy surface. 'He ended up handling the wet track on the Gold Coast really well,' Archibald said. 'But I don't think we can really say yet what his preferred track conditions are, because he is fairly lightly raced.' Originally published as Zac Lloyd on rare quest to score consecutive Stradbroke Handicaps
News.com.au
08-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Zac Lloyd on rare quest to score consecutive Stradbroke Handicaps
Young Sydney riding gun Zac Lloyd has a golden opportunity to become the first jockey since the great Jimmy Cassidy more than three decades ago to win back-to-back Stradbroke Handicaps. But Lloyd, who scored his first Group 1 when pinching last year's Stradbroke on Stefi Magnetica, must help haul three-year-old colt Bosustow back to the imposing form which saw him be a six-length winner two starts ago. Bosustow, the three-year-old colt who destroyed his opposition in the Gold Coast Guineas, was single figure odds in Stradbroke betting markets before he was well beaten in the rescheduled Group 3 Fred Best Classic at Doomben last Wednesday. Bosustow started the $2.45 Fred Best favourite but finished sixth, 1-1/2 lengths behind the Toby Edmonds and Stephen McLean -trained filly Spicy Martini which qualified for the Stradbroke with the win. Time to celebrate! That's a spicy win for Spicy Martini in the G3 Fred Best Classic at Doomben 🙌 🌶ï¸� @CWilliamsJockey | @EdmondsRacing | @BrisRacingClub — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 4, 2025 Annabel and Rob Archibald are pushing on with Stradbroke plans for Bosustow which has now drifted to be a $15 chance in Queensland's greatest race next Saturday. Managing owner Anthony Mithen points out that Bosustow was beaten about the same margin in the Fred Best as Stefi Magnetica was a year earlier, before that horse came out and won the Stradbroke with Lloyd on board. Lloyd has been booked for Bosustow and now gets a chance to be the first jockey since Cassidy won the Stradbroke on the mighty Rough Habit in 1991 and 1992 to score consecutive Stradbroke triumphs. Rough Habit’s win in the 1992 Stradbroke was ðŸ'¥ — Punters+ (@Punters) June 5, 2020 Lloyd will link with Bosustow for the first time and Rob Archibald remains convinced the colt can be a major player in the Stradbroke. 'Maybe the Fred Best run was just a little bit below what we expected, but we weren't too disappointed,' Archibald said. 'He was a month between runs and the race was rescheduled and things were mucked around a little bit. 'He may have been just a touch underdone second-up, but he can certainly bounce back third-up in the Stradbroke. 'He gets into the Stradbroke with a nice weight (51.5kg) although it's all relative I suppose. 'Zac hasn't ridden him before, but he did win the Stradbroke last year and we are really happy to have him on.' Lloyd will jet into Brisbane on Tuesday morning and give Bosustow a spin around Eagle Farm at the Stradbroke 'Breakfast With The Stars' trackwork session. There is a week of fine weather forecast for Brisbane and the prospects of a rain-affected Eagle Farm track on Stradbroke day look slim. Bosustow was dominant in the Gold Coast Guineas on a heavy (9) track but the camp say he is much more than just a wet tracker. On the morning of the Guineas, they had even been considering scratching Bosustow because they weren't convinced he would handle the sloppy surface. 'He ended up handling the wet track on the Gold Coast really well,' Archibald said. 'But I don't think we can really say yet what his preferred track conditions are, because he is fairly lightly raced.'
