Zac Lloyd among EW Barker Trophy raiders
Four foreign jockeys will fly in for the $150,000 Group 2 EW Barker Trophy (1,400m) meeting at Kranji on April 21, including a last-minute surprise guest.
Among the quartet, Chad Schofield and Ronnie Stewart were already known as long-term bookings for big-race hit-and-runs on Golden Monkey and Street Of Dreams respectively.
Schofield even saluted at his first 2024 mission on Tim Fitzsimmons’ stable star in the Group 3 Fortune Bowl (1,400m) on Feb 11.
He sat out the Group 3 Committee’s Prize (1,600m) won by Bestseller on March 9, but regardless of the EW Barker result, the Sydney hoop will be back aboard the Star Turn five-year-old in the $1 million Group 1 Kranji Mile (1,600m) on May 18.
Likewise, Stewart – a Kranji staple at two long-term tenures since 2006 – only shuttles in when Street Of Dreams runs in Group events for trainer Steven Burridge, though the Queensland jockey holds a Singapore licence valid until the end of the season – and Singapore horse racing - on Oct 5.
Daniel Moor was not expected back so soon, but the Kranji frequent flyer could not turn down another cameo.
The Victorian rode as recently as April 6 at the Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1,200m) day, booting home a double on Pacific Gold and Pacific MV, but not on his Sprint ride Greatham Boy.
He is then slated to come back for a long-term five-month stint starting from May 1 till the end.
But, Moor has been lured back for a ninth visit earlier – to pilot Pacific Emperor in the EW Barker Trophy. Unsurprisingly, his other five rides on the undercard are all for Pacific Stable, including Pacific Gold and Pacific MV.
On the other hand, one name which has popped up out of nowhere on the card is Zac Lloyd.
The 20-year-old is current Kranji jockey Jaden Lloyd’s younger brother – both sons of former top jockey Jeff Lloyd, who also rode in Singapore with success.
The younger Lloyd, who currently rides for powerhouse Godolphin in Sydney, will take the ride on Burridge’s second EW Barker runner, Invincible Tycoon.
By coincidence, the close to 300-race winner will try and break his Group 1 duck on a horse called Tiz Invincible in the All Aged Stakes (1,400m) at Randwick on April 20, one day before he flies out for his first Singapore raid.
The 2022-23 Sydney champion apprentice jockey, who boasts two Group 2 wins on his CV, has picked up four more rides.
However, he will clash with his brother only once, in Race 7 where Jaden rides Golden Sentience.
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