Fresh off a stellar weekend with two feature race victories, Zac Lloyd has locked in his rides for two marquee events in the Sydney autumn carnival.
Lloyd has confirmed he will be aboard Randwick Guineas winner Linebacker at 49kg in the Doncaster Mile (1600m), while his Black Opal Stakes-winning partner, King Of Pop, will be his mount in the Golden Slipper (1200m).
King Of Pop made it two wins from two starts when he edged out the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Farcited. Lloyd is confident that if the Farnan colt can make the final field, he will be a strong Golden Slipper contender.
“He gave me a great feel. I was more than happy to lock in the ride straight away after the race,” Lloyd told Sydney’s Sky Racing radio on Wednesday.
“He jumped well and did everything right for a two-year-old.
“I don’t think he beat an easy horse in Farcited from Gai and Adrian’s stable, so I believe he’ll be a great ride in the Slipper.”
Lloyd has also secured the ride on Linebacker in the Doncaster Mile after a tactically brilliant ride helped him guide the John O’Shea & Tom Charlton-trained three-year-old to his first major win.
With that victory, Linebacker claimed the scalp of Golden Rose winner and Cox Plate placegetter Broadsiding, setting him up for a shot at replicating Celestial Legend’s Guineas-Doncaster Mile double from last year.
“I think they’re planning to go four weeks into the Doncaster like Celestial Legend did,” Lloyd said.
“As it stands, I’ll be riding him in the Doncaster at 49kg.
“It’s not easy, but it’s definitely more manageable than for some of the other jockeys. I usually walk around at 51.5 to 52kg, so with a bit of dieting, I should be able to get down to weight.”
Additionally, Lloyd has been lined up to ride Godolphin colt Traffic Warden in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday week.
Traffic Warden recently resumed with a fifth-place finish in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington last month and will have an exhibition gallop between races at Thursday’s Kensington track meeting.