Hot on the heels of the news that apprentice Jaden Lloyd would be transferring his indentures to the Steven O’Dea / Matt Hoysted training partnership, Zac Lloyd will be following his brother to Eagle Farm where he will be attached to the Lauren Abbott stable.
The two Lloyd brothers are in different stages of their young careers, with Jaden looking to further establish himself as a force to be reckoned with in town, where he has already had significant success, as he continues to try and secure the Brisbane Apprentice Jockey’s Premiership, a race he leads at this time.
Zac Lloyd also currently leads a premiership … the Queensland Provincial Apprentice Jockey Premiership … but his relocation to the city precinct comes with entirely different motives to that of Jaden with the aim to execute a plan … on several fronts … moving forward.
Zac Lloyd will not ride in town until next season, but the Abbott option will immediately open up a lot of new opportunities for him … not least in initially giving him direct access to a host of leading trainers in Brisbane.
“Obviously, Zac is riding really well, and I’ve got a good association with him,” said Lauren Abbott.
“He’s got a gift. He just rides all of my horses so well so, when Jeff (Zac’s father and manager … not to mention a former jockey who has over ninety Group 1 wins behind his name as well as being a multiple Premiership winner) contacted me and said he was looking to get Zac some more opportunities with the Eagle Farm trainers, I didn’t hesitate in helping him out.
“When Jeff called me, I was a bit shocked at first,” admitted Abbott, “but when he said that he thought apprentices can flourish with smaller trainers I could see what he was getting at.
“With Zac being down at the Gold Coast (where he had a good grounding with the Toby and Trent Edmonds stable) it was quite restricted as to who he could ride work for and what trainers he could come into direct contact with.
“Being up here with me … obviously I am a smaller stable. I ride most of my own work so that means, particularly early morning, Zac can go and ride work for some of the top trainers here at Eagle Farm. Then later in the day he can come ride a couple for me.
“Obviously I do a lot of beach work which is sort of later in the day, so that will suit Zac as well because he can then do as much outside work that he can fit in … become better known on a personal basis to the Eagle Farm trainers and then come and help me at the beach … and that works out well.
“I think it is a win/win for everyone.
“Apart from his riding ability, Zac is such a lovely person … and I don’t think the Brisbane trainers have fully got to see that yet … but, with him coming here now, they will quickly learn that about him.”
This is no random change of stables for Zac Lloyd.
The Lloyd team obviously believe that the best way to continue to make good progress is to plan for it and the exposure that Lloyd will get in town, the experience he will gain there in a big, top level racing precinct will be invaluable … and, all the while, the contacts he makes are likely to forge a solid foundation for future success.
It certainly would be no surprise to see the opportunity aspect pays dividends early with Lloyd possibly picking up more provincial rides for Eagle Farm trainers then has been the case up to now, sooner rather than later.
“Jeff’s got it all worked out. He is an excellent manager and I just love using his kids,” continued Abbott.
“They come to the races so well prepared. Even though Zac is so young I treat him the same as the senior jockeys … he comes out, I say what’s your plan? I don’t give him instructions. He tells me how to ride it … and I’m happy with that because I know, back home, he has already gone through everything he needs to know … and nine times out of ten he rides it exactly how he said he would ride it.
“We have built up a trust between us. For example, I usually never put an apprentice on a horse that I think is tricky to ride, but I have done that with Zac because I know the Lloyd team will work out what is the best way of going about it.
“I’m excited about Zac coming to me. I have always followed Zac anyway … whether he was riding my horses, or not. It has always been a case of looking where is Zac riding? How is he doing?
“I love him like my own son and I just want to see him do well.”
