Jeff Lloyd racks up Group Two victory

Saturday 29 April 2017, 3:53pm

Premier Brisbane jockey Jeff Lloyd has been seen at his best in a clever front-running ride on Music Magnate to win the Group Two Victory Stakes.

A runaway leader in this year's premiership, Lloyd has won many of his races by leading and dictating the pace.

It was exactly what he did aboard Music Magnate ($2.50) on Saturday, letting him stroll through the first 1000 metres of the 1200m-race.

Music Magnate then kicked away in the straight to win by 1-1/4 lengths from Hopfgarten ($5.50) with the same margin to third-placed Miss Cover Girl ($9.50).

The Bjorn Baker-trained gelding will now go on to try to defend the Group One Doomben 10,000 on May 13 before the Group One Kingsford Smith Cup on May 27.

Lloyd said he was sure Music Magnate would benefit from the run which was his first since March 18.

"I think a few horses who ran on that track today will know they have been in a race tomorrow. It was nice to be on a horse which travelled so well and he was able to kick away in the straight," Lloyd said.

Music Magnate only came to Brisbane at the last minute after Sydney-based Baker debated whether to send him north to run on a wet track.

Baker made the call on Thursday night and sent Music Magnate to Brisbane where the gelding picked up $128,000 for first.

Stable representative Maddie Berkley said Music Magnate would be a major player in the remaining races in the winter.

"But the Doomben 10,000 is his first call and then we can go from there," she said.

Trainer Robert Heathcote was far from disappointed with the run of Hopfgaten who will press on into the winter.

"The 1200 metres today was short of his best and I thought something else might have put more pressure on the winner. But it was a good run and I think we will head towards the Stradbroke," Heathcote said.

Kelly Schweida was equally pleased with Miss Cover Girl who ran on strongly at the first run of what will be her last campaign.

"She wasn't suited by the pace at all. But she tried hard and she will have a couple more runs before she retires," he said.

Sydney galloper Takedown finished fourth beaten four lengths but his trainer Gary Moore believes the gelding will be a lot fitter in the Doomben 10,000.

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »