Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Fresh from experiencing just how far Guest House has helped take him in world racing, Zac Lloyd is keen to get back aboard a more mature Golden Slipper champion on Saturday in the San Domenico Stakes.
And Lloyd is more excited to see how much better Guest House will be later in his campaign.
Lloyd was in Japan last weekend competing at the World All-Star Jockey Challenge, where he finished second to Norihiro Yokoyama over the four-race pointscore taking in two meetings. Victorian Damian Lane was third.
It was Lloyd’s first time riding in Japan, and followed a successful trip taking in the Royal Ascot carnival in England and the Durban July meeting in his native South Africa.
“It’s a bit different to anywhere else I’ve ridden,” Lloyd said of Japan.
“They really are fans of the racing, the horses and the jockeys, and it’s pretty cool to see, so it was a good experience, and I’d say hopefully it won’t be the last.
“On the Friday, I thought I was in for a long weekend, because the horses’ form didn’t look great, but we made do with what we had. The first two ran second, and then we had a fourth and a fifth.
“They go very fast there and it’s very, very clean racing, no bumping. And because they go quick, the fields are very spread out, but in saying that, the jockeys there are very good. And I rode against them at the back-end of their career, Yutaka Take is 57, and Yokoyama, who won, is 58, so I can only imagine how good they were in their prime.”
Standard race meetings in Japan still attract massive crowds and fans clamour for autographs of their favourite jockeys. The impact of Lloyd’s Slipper win on Guest House, the 23-year-old’s biggest, was there to see.
“There were lots of mad photos of Guest House winning the Slipper, heaps of fans,” he said.
“At the end of the day, my hand was a bit sore [from the autographs], but it was a good experience.”
He hoped for more opportunities in Japan but his focus remained on Sydney racing.
“I really enjoy racing in Sydney, it’s great, but if I can keep dipping my toe in and keeping my name out there internationally, that’s definitely going to be good for my career,” he said.
The trip did not interfere with his preparations aboard Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr-trained Guest House. Lloyd has partnered the Home Affairs colt, now owned by Coolmore after a $30 million deal, in his two trials back, the second of which he asked for a strong effort when going to the line with Warwoven.
Lloyd expected Guest House, $5 from gate seven of eight, to improve for his first target, the group 1 Golden Rose on September 26. The Coolmore Stud Stakes and $20 million Everest loom as other potential goals.
“He’s going well. He’s a big, strong colt, so obviously he’s going to need those two trials and the runs,” Lloyd said.
“We want him to be 100 per cent for the Golden Rose, not the San Domenico, so he’s going there to run well on Saturday, but he’s got plenty of improvement to come.
“The Slipper was my first time racing him and they went very fast, so it was quite easy for me, but they all seem to think he’s come back much more mentally mature, which is the main thing.
“He didn’t need to grow any bigger. He’s got the size, but now he’s got the brain to go with it, so hopefully that can aid him to run well.”
Lloyd also pilots Grand Impact ($4) in the last for the Price-Kent team on Saturday. It is part of stacked book of rides featuring Matt Smith-trained Aethelwulf ($1.50) and Yulong pair Althoff ($2) and Street Artist ($3.10).
“Grand Impact has got a good draw, good racing pattern, he puts himself on speed, so he’s in with a very good chance,” Lloyd said.
“Aethelwulf seems pretty smart. His last two wins have been very impressive and he’s only going to get better stepping up in trip this Saturday.
“His tickover trial the other week was very good. It doesn’t seem like he’s taking a backward steps, so he could definitely show up to Saturday grade.”
