Zac Lloyd represented Queensland in cricket. Despite his South African roots, he wants it known he’s Team Labuschagne rather than Team du Plessis.
He also represented Queensland in futsal and indoor soccer in his final year of high school.
Zac Lloyd returns to scale after riding Nugget to victory at Randwick.Credit:Getty
Lloyd has always thrived in the representative arena and when the competition has been red hot, which probably explains why he has quickly adjusted to Sydney racing – arguably the most competitive and cut-throat riding scene in the world.
“Zac thrives on pressure, so I was never worried about him moving to Sydney,” said his famous father, former champion jockey Jeff Lloyd.
“He always wants to compete at the highest level.”
Zac, 19, speaks proudly about his sporting background. But he is also quick to point out that a professional career in soccer or cricket was never going to eventuate because of his size.
Walking around comfortably at 49kg most days meant a life in the saddle was always more suitable.
Lloyd has quickly won his share of admirers since locating to Sin City in the middle of the year, most notably the best jockey to ever ride on these shores, Darren Beadman.
“Darren has been the best. He’s the man, and he has taken me on like another son. We speak nearly every day and he only wants what’s best for me,” Lloyd said.
“He gives me a lot of advice, and he knows all the tracks here like the back of his hand.
“Even at Randwick where we ride Saturday, as soon as you straighten it’s a really steep rise for about 50m, and you want to conserve your horse’s energy going up the hill. It doesn’t look as steep on TV. It’s just little things like that Darren has been great with.
Zac Lloyd excelled at cricket and soccer.
“He’s also very good for a quote; he’s never short of a one-liner.”
Beadman appreciated Lloyd’s comments but struggled to come up with a short witty response.
When asked what he liked most about Lloyd – an apprentice who has ridden 23 city winners and wants to punch home the required 80 winners to outride his claim in the next eight to 12 months – Beadman said: “He listens. And he’s got a very good race brain on him, which is something that doesn’t come naturally. It’s a skill you need to enhance and work at all the time.
“He has lovely balance, nice hands, he has a lot of the characteristics you need. Some people are naturally gifted, others need to work at it, but Zac has a combination of both. He’s more compact and ‘with the horse’, which comes with strength and maturity, and timing.
“What he is doing at this stage of his career is well above average.”
Lloyd nominated Sunshine In Paris and Show Some Decorum as the pick of his rides at the Christmas Eve meeting.
“She looks a nice horse and provided she gets a run, she just needs the one scratching, she’ll be hard to beat with just 50kg on her back,” Lloyd said of Sunshine in Paris.
“I know Chris Waller’s pair – Kir Royale and Pretty Wild – go well, but they will both need to spot us a big weight. I also like Show Some Decorum and what he did when he resumed. He won running away from them and looks to have come back a nice horse.”
Lloyd started out on the Gold Coast, where his father still resides, and he would relish the opportunity to take part in the Magic Millions carnival. One of the family’s best memories remains the 2017 Magic Millions carnival when Jeff punched home Houtzen in the $2m two-year-old feature in 2017.
Jeff’s other son and Zac’s brother, Jaden, who is also a jockey, joined in the celebrations that day. If there was one jockey that brought out Zac’s competitive juices, it was his sibling.
The plan for the next 12 months is to become a regular winner in Sydney. Zac also wants to continue soaking up the priceless knowledge from Beadman.
The kid can ride. And listen.
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