Premier jockey Jeff Lloyd moved within a win of recording 100 Queensland metropolitan winners for the second season in a row with a Gold Coast treble on Wednesday.
Lloyd won on Captivator ($2.50), Mystic Moon ($3.90), and the Amateur ($17) to take him to 99 Queensland metropolitan wins and 135 on all tracks this season.
He set a Queensland metropolitan record when he recorded 137 wins last season, smashing Chris Munce’s then record of 102.
Lloyd has a third-straight metropolitan premiership in his keeping and has ridden 336 city winners since returning from a health-enforced break in 2014.
Trainer Les Kelly is hoping Captivator can make the field for the Group One Queensland Derby.
Captivator, who did his early racing in Victoria, overcame a forced change of tactics to lead and held on to score a narrow but brave win.
“We weren’t planning on leading but Jeff (jockey Lloyd) had no choice when the horse we thought would lead didn’t do it and it was a tough effort,” Kelly said.
“They might be a bit good in the Derby but if he gets a start I would like to run him.”
Trainer Matt Dunn got his first winner for leading owners Graham and Linda Huddy when Lacey Lynx Pack ($8) won a maiden at her second start.
Dunn thinks Lacey Lynx Pack, who cost $110,000 as a yearling, will be more than handy as the distances get longer.
“The Huddys sent me her about six months ago and it is obviously good to get a horse for such prominent owners,” he said.
Trainer Toby Edmonds, who trained Mystic Moon, predicted a bright future for first starter Viral ($2) who overcame a buffeting on the home turn to win a two-year-old race over 1400m.
“I’ve only him for eight or so weeks and he has got some improvement in him,” Edmonds said.
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au