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FWC on Sport Nation guide“Special moment”: Zac Lloyd explains his “fortunate” Royal Ascot victory
Connor Scanlon • June 19th, 2026 6:18 pm
Young gun jockey Zac Lloyd has proven his potential on the international stage, riding his first winner at Royal Ascot aboard Moonfall in the Britannia Stakes.
The 1600m race had a field of 30 horses in it, and Lloyd was able to outdo some of the best hoops in the world.
Reflecting on the “special” victory, the jockey admitted that his maiden Ascot victory came down to luck and the ride went perfectly for him.
“It's like a stampede; you need a lot of luck. I think that's why Royal Ascot winners are so hard to come by,” Lloyd started on SENTrack & RSN's Giddy Up.
“I was fortunate enough; I drew on the right side of the track. The track had been quite favourable on the outside. I was in barrier 27, so that gave me a big advantage.
“The race went very smoothly, I got a nice trail on one of the leading runners and our pack was ahead of the other pack, so I couldn't have asked for much more.
“It was a special moment for sure. To be there and see how big that stand is, and you get a roar from the 700m, it's quite unbelievable. That straight is unlike anything we have in Australia.”
George Boughey was the trainer of the horse that Lloyd was able to win on at Ascot, and the young hoop dedicated his victory to the trainer.
In fact, Lloyd revealed he wouldn’t have even travelled to England if it weren’t for Boughey.
“To get that winner at Royal Ascot for George Boughey, who's probably the reason I came over here, was extra special,” exclaimed Lloyd.
“He's a great guy, he's very easy to work with – he barely gave me any instructions, and he just told me about the horse.
“To get that winner for him made it extra special because he's the reason I came over.
“He had a stint in Australia, so it’s no wonder that he's taken British racing by storm.”
Lloyd will continue to ride at Royal Ascot until Saturday before heading to South Africa for their Durban July meeting.
The 22-year-old will be riding Happy Verse at the meeting, and the hoop is confident that he can get the job done again.
“I think I've got a very good ride, his name's Happy Verse,” revealed Lloyd.
“He ran second in one of the Group 1 lead-ups the other day and meets the horse that beat him at a few kilos better.
“I think he's second or third in the market, and he's trained by Justin Snaith, which is like the (Chris) Waller of South Africa, so I'm sure the horse will be peaking on the day.”
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