Zac Lloyd stars at Randwick with four-winner haul

Just weeks after celebrating his maiden Group 1 win in the Stradbroke Handicap, star apprentice Zac Lloyd has landed his first four-timer at a Saturday metropolitan meeting, highlighted by the Listed Winter Stakes on Tamerlane.

The 20-year-old managed to achieve the feat for different trainers, teaming with Hawkes Racing to take out the opening event on Brave One and following with wins aboard the Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich-trained Clear Thinking, Shezanalister for Bjorn Baker and finally Tamerlane for his boss, James Cummings.

Lloyd said he came to Randwick hoping for a winner or two but was thrilled to land four for the first time at a weekend meeting.

“I’ve won four races twice at the midweeks and once at the provincials,” Lloyd said.

“I thought my horse in the Highway (Clear Thinking) was obviously my best ride.

“But I spoke to my Mum this morning, as I normally do coming to the races, and she said she would be happy with one and I said, ‘I want more’.

“I think she will be happy with four winners.”

Tamerlane was sent out at $21 with betting apps after two even runs from a spell and Cummings admitted they weighed up scratching him when the track came up a heavy 9 on Saturday morning.

Luckily for Godolphin, they waited, and the surface was upgraded to an 8 following the second race, the improving conditions more to Tamerlane’s liking.

While the horse had finished unplaced in Listed grade at his past two starts, including an eighth in the rescheduled Civic Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm, Cummings said he was confident Tamerlane was going better than recent form suggested.

“I thought the run last week was the run he needed to really bring him on, and we had a strong feeling that he was going to put in a big effort today,” Cummings said.

“Last week when the race (Civic Stakes) got put back and it got transferred to Warwick Farm, I don’t think that was exactly in his interests.

“Getting back to Randwick was a big plus.”

Cummings was also full of praise for Lloyd, Godolphin’s stable apprentice who won last season’s Sydney junior riders’ premiership and will defend that title this term despite competing without a claim.

Lloyd isn’t due to come out of his time until November and Cummings says continuing to receive strong support from a variety of stables will be crucial to the young rider’s ongoing success.

“Four winners, four different trainers, that is really important that he keeps getting that groundswell of support,” Cummings said.

“We’re not the only stable, or it’s not just us and one other stable, identifying that he’s got the talent and the (work) ethic to make it work.

“He is getting a good spread of support and that makes a big difference.”

Cummings confirmed Tamerlane was likely to have his next start in the Listed Winter Challenge (1500m) at Rosehill in a fortnight.

Meanwhile, Nash Rawiller took out the final two races aboard Godolphin’s Contemporary and Rhapsody Chic for Anthony and Sam Freedman to rack up 77 city wins for the season.

The double moves Rawiller to within six wins of premiership pacesetter James Mcdonald with seven metropolitan meetings remaining.