‘He got it right’: Zac Lloyd earns Golden Slipper praise from J-Mac

It was the Jmac and Zac show on Golden Slipper day, and the world’s best jockey knows the future is coming.

James McDonald sits on 131 Group 1 wins, but at the 200m mark in the Golden Slipper he found out Zac Lloyd is coming to get him.

McDonald won his first Golden Slipper as a 22-year-old on Mossfun in 2014, Lloyd got his first on Guest House at Rosehill on Saturday.

There was maturity to the victory that belies Lloyd’s age.

He has had his issues in the stewards room in his career but the subtleties of riding are starting to come to Lloyd.

“My brains had to catch up with my riding,” he said. “In the past I wouldn’t have got that right.”

Lloyd knew he was on the winner at the 200m mark and had to find a run for Guest House and it was back to the inside. McDonald on Fireball was to his inside and he handled the situation perfectly.

“I gave him a call to let him know I was there,” McDonald said. “In the past he would have rushed it, and it would have got messy.

“But he waited, and it won him the race.”

Checked in and making headlines! 🙌 Guest House takes the G1 TAB Golden Slipper as @ZacLloydx lands a career-defining win – and a treble to match!@aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/DTJSge7MdZ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 21, 2026

Lloyd steered back to the run, but instead of bashing a path, he brushed past Fireball and away to victory.

“Even six months ago, I would have seen the run and just took it,” Lloyd said. “This time I counted to two and got up level with him and just pushed him out of the way.

“You have to keep getting better and I think I am.”

Nash Rawiller on Zambales, who had been behind Lloyd in the straight, thinks so.

“That was a great ride,” Rawiller told him. “I could see what you had to do, and you did it right.

“You had so much horse and you got it right. Well done.”

Lloyd admits he is still learning.

“It is great to get that feedback, sometimes it is a lot different,” he said. “The boys in the room have taught me a lot and that is a big part of today.

“I have dad [Jeff Lloyd] and Dazza [Darren Beadman] who have pointed out what I needed to do but I have to do it and I’m getting there.”

The Golden Slipper completed winning treble for Lloyd after winning on Barrengarry and Mr Monaco to start the program, but it ended with a limp after Galaxy favourite Grafterburners flipped over in the barriers and was a late scratching.

“It’s kind of like my first winner, I fell my last ride that day at Dalby,” Lloyd recalled. “You have to remember that good things happen, but you can he back on the ground pretty quickly.

“I was lucky that it wasn’t worse [on Grafterburners].”

 Guest House charged away to 1-1/2 length victory from Blue Diamond winner Streisand with Black Opal winner Music Time a half length back in third in a wide out for the Sydney form.

 It gave Mick Price and Michael Kent junior their first Golden Slipper, and it was a case of finally having the right luck.

“He’s had three runs where nothing went right,” Kent junior said. “With the speed on, he finally relaxed.

”Zac Lloyd, what can I say, he read the pattern, and the horse was so good.”

Lloyd added, “right horse, right time, right ride. I have learnt you need everything to go right to win these races.”