Apprentice jockey Jaden Lloyd, who last saw competitive race action on July 9, returns to the saddle at Ipswich on Wednesday where he has accepted three rides as he looks to ease himself back into the fray.
An extremely talented young rider, Lloyd, by his own admission welcomed his extended break from race riding, not for the reasons it came about (serving several suspensions), but mainly for his acknowledged acceptance of his need to be able to enjoy some down-time and refresh after a punishing season which had taken its toll both in terms of its physical and mental demands.
For much of the last six months of the 2021/22 racing season Lloyd was involved in a hard-fought stride-for-stride battle with Kyle Wilson-Taylor for the prestigious Brisbane Metropolitan Apprentice Jockey’s Premiership.
These two riders traded winners in astonishing fashion up to July 9 when Lloyd was suspended.
Wilson-Taylor ultimately won that Premiership, but Lloyd did go away with the distinction and satisfaction of riding a landmark fifty metropolitan winners for the season while also finishing in a highly creditable fifth place on the Brisbane Jockey’s Premiership.
Except for a brief holiday, Lloyd has been working at the stable of his bosses Steven O’Dea and Matthew Hoysted throughout his time out, but the activity there is a far cry from re-establishing race-riding fitness, hence Lloyd only taken the three rides on Wednesday.
Lloyd is scheduled to ride the Barry Baldwin trained first-timer Accelerated Growth (currently quoted at $14) in the third race, Cairdeas ($6.50) for the O’Dea / Hoysted team in race 6 and To Love Some Body ($31) for Paul Nolan (Jnr) in race 8.
