Zac Lloyd spent his early childhood running around the apartment blocks at Sha Tin Racecourse, and one of the most exciting jockey prospects to emerge from Australia in years has said he wants to ride in Hong Kong, while also confessing his obsession with Japanese racing.
Lloyd, who has a place in history as the most successful Sydney apprentice in the last 40 years for the number of winners in a single season, has told Idol Horse of his ambition to ride on a more permanent basis throughout Asia.
He’s finished second and third to James McDonald in the Sydney jockeys premiership in the last two seasons. McDonald has been crowned the world’s best rider and regularly visits Hong Kong for Group 1 feature racedays.
While Lloyd is yet to regularly compete in Hong Kong or Japan, he has an affinity with the former having spent some of his early years there while dad Jeff, now retired, was on the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s riding roster.
“It was unreal,” Lloyd said. “I thoroughly enjoyed Hong Kong. If the opportunity came to go to Hong Kong at some stage, I would give great thought to it because I would love to end up there at some stage.”
Still only 22 and now a fully-fledged rider, Lloyd emerged from his apprenticeship with the type of record reserved for only special talents.
He booted home 76 winners in the 2022-23 metropolitan season – the most by an apprentice rider since Wayne Harris in 1980-81. He returned to defend his apprentice title the following year.
His lofty finishes on the premiership table against senior riders means he qualifies for a potential short-term riding licence in Japan. Jockeys who finish in the top three can be licensed by the Japan Racing Association.
Fellow Australians Damian Lane, Craig Williams and Rachel King have ridden in Japan with success in recent years.
“I’ve always kept that in the back of my mind,” Lloyd said. “I would love to have a short-term contract there at some stage, maybe at the end of this year. That might be a bit soon, but I would love to get that international experience (shortly).
“I watch Japanese racing every week and I have a pretty good idea of the horses. Japanese racing is probably the best in the world and I would be silly not to get my foot in the door at some stage.”
But there’s one race he covets almost more than any other: the Durban July.
Jeff, who rode extensively in South Africa, Hong Kong, Mauritius and Australia, never managed to win the race, and it has only intensified Zac’s efforts to get back next year.
“That is probably the biggest race in the world I want to win, even though it’s prize money is equivalent to a normal Saturday race in Sydney,” he said.
“The fact my dad hasn’t won it and it would be very special to win it and have my dad on track. That would be a peak moment in my racing career.”
Lloyd has already ridden three Group 1 winners in Australia, including the Stradbroke Handicap on the Bjorn Baker-trained Stefi Magnetica. ∎
