Zac Lloyd, fresh from a highly successful overseas working holiday which saw him gain a remarkable success at Royal Ascot in England and a win at Greyville in South Africa, has four rides on the card at Randwick on Saturday, two on horses who were purchased for over $1 million, but who currently have only achieved one win in eighteen starts between them.
That statistic confirms just what a great leveller the racing game is where nothing is guaranteed, least of all any attempt to buy success on the racetrack, although, obviously, the better the pedigree, the better the value of these horses at stud when that chapter of their career comes around.
Chris Waller trains both Defensemen and Ernaux who Lloyd will partner in race one and race four respectively.
Defensemen (Wootton Bassett – Upfront), a two-year-old colt who was purchased for $1.4 million, has had four starts with his best return being two third places. One of third place results came on debut in the Kirkham Plate over 1000m … the other came in his last start in a Maiden Handicap when he stretched out beyond 1110m (to 1250m) for the first time in a first-up run following a four month break from race action.
In-between those two starts, Defensemen tackled Group 3 company in the $1 million Golden Gift where he finished on the fringe of the placings … and then the $2 million Inglis Millennium where he finished well out of the placings in a race won by his stable companion Fireball, who went on to claim Group 1 glory in the Champagne Stakes.
Second-up now with the benefit of that first-up run behind him … plus the step up to 1400m which should be a significant point of difference, Defensemen is currently the second favourite for Saturday’s assignment at $4.60. He clearly has scope for improvement.
The race favourite here is the Kris Lees trained Rumdabar, a last start winner.
Ernaux (I Am Invincible – Booker), a three-year-old filly who was purchased for $3 million, has raced fourteen times for one win and six minor placings.
She had to wait seven starts before claiming her Maiden win and another seven starts have passed since then with only two close-up second places and a one third place finish to show for it … the third place coming in feature race company in the Listed Mode Plate.
With four unplaced runs in her last five starts, Ernaux will have to lift her game to have a major say on Saturday, but she has been kept relatively safe in the betting at $9.
The race favourite is the Ciaron Maher trained Benevac, who is trying to go one better after finishing in second place in each of his last two starts.
Lloyd’s other two rides on the day are aboard It’s A Knockout for Cairon Maher is race nine and Nandina, again for Chris Waller in the closing event on the card.
