Lloyd guides Eagle Express to victory at Rosehill

Trainer Chris Waller and jockey James McDonald, usually an unstoppable force, found themselves on opposing sides at Rosehill, with Waller seizing the opportunity to his advantage.

With the Waller-trained mare Eagle Express ($4) carrying a light 52kg in Saturday's Asahi Super Dry Handicap over 1200m, lightweight hoop Zac Lloyd was booked. Lloyd positioned himself behind McDonald, who was riding the leading contender and eventual fourth-placed finisher Hawker Hall ($2.05 fav), before finding space on the inside to claim victory.

"That was the plan today, to get into James' slipstream and not expose her too early and just have a crack late," Waller explained. "She's a talented filly turned mare now. We wanted to see her do that today to justify another year with us."

Eagle Express, a five-year-old, has had a relatively light career, with Saturday's win being her fifth from 21 starts. She performed creditably in black type events during the autumn, and Waller believes she can compete at that level again if placed correctly.

"The race next week, the Toy Show Quality, is probably the right race for her. She won't be running there, but that type of race. A handicap where we can hold her up," Waller stated.

Waller also expressed considerable admiration for Lloyd, who completed a double aboard Eagle Express after an earlier win on protest with the Brad Widdup-trained Mind Ya Bizz.

The young jockey, who finished second to McDonald in the Sydney jockeys' premiership last season, is regarded as one of the sport's emerging stars. Waller suggested that Lloyd's recent international experience, including rides at Royal Ascot and in South Africa, has been instrumental in his development.

While McDonald remains the standard, Waller indicated that the emergence of riders like Lloyd encourages all elite jockeys to elevate their performance.

"You don't want the gap too big and there are a few chomping away," Waller observed. "There's some good, healthy competition. It's great for James, and it's good for jockeys when they do some international trips like Zac has done. Jason Collett is in Japan at the moment. We're the winner, Sydney, when they come back."

Lloyd is scheduled to miss next Saturday's Winx Stakes meeting, as he is committed to riding in the World All-Star Jockeys competition in Japan, continuing his recent international racing commitments.

For those keen on racing betting markets, the performance of Eagle Express offers insight into potential future outcomes.