Jockey Zac Lloyd kept up his impressive form during the Sydney autumn carnival, achieving a four-win haul at Rosehill that featured a Group 1 success riding the Kiwi filly Belle Cheval in the Vinery Stud Stakes.
Just one week following his triumph in the $5 million Golden Slipper on Guest House – the first of three successes for him the previous weekend – Lloyd once more displayed his talent.
He kicked off his tally with Annie’s Rose in the Midway Handicap (1300m), followed by victories on Belle Cheval in the Vinery (2000m), Idle Flyer in the Emancipation Stakes (1500m), and Welwal in the Doncaster Prelude (1500m).
Prepared by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, the same team behind Guest House, Welwal reacted well to blinkers and a track softened by rain, claiming his initial victory since November 2024.
“He was fantastic, that horse. Geez, he let rip and he’s won that convincingly,” Lloyd said.
“The blinkers have done good work, and he was just there ready to go.”
Success in the Doncaster Prelude grants exemption from ballot into the Doncaster Mile (1600m) next Saturday, but Welwal is neither nominated nor eligible for late entry under the handicap rules.
Mick Price expressed great satisfaction with the result, viewing it as a fitting payoff after several unfortunate performances.
“Trainers always say, my horse had no luck after the race, but it is true,” Price said.
“He needs a bit of room around him and a soft track, and this distance, and he’s a nice horse.
(Owner) Alf Gauci has been a client of ours for thirty years and hopefully he’s having a few tears right now, because he does wear his heart on his sleeve.”
Welwal ($11) unleashed a powerful burst of speed down the straight, prevailing by 1-1/2 lengths from Feroce ($12), while Lord Penman ($15) closed well for third, three-quarters of a length further back.
Explore the Australian betting sites for top racing odds on the Doncaster Mile.