Zac Lloyd prowling around Queensland again

By Jordan Gerrans

Queensland young gun hoop Zac Lloyd can be forgiven for walking around Sydney with a prowl after winning his maiden Golden Slipper on Saturday afternoon. 

The emerging star of the track added another accolade to his bulging resume the following day when he became the owner and breeder of a greyhound to win a race in his home state. 

The Lloyd-owned Prowl landed the prize on debut on the Q2 Parklands circuit for trainer John Dart. 

The Hatton Vale-based Dart believes Lloyd and his jockey mates in the ownership of the black bitch will have plenty of fun with the stayer in the making. 

The up-and-coming Lloyd cut his teeth riding in the Sunshine State before making it big in Sydney following his southern move.

He landed one the greatest victories of his short career when he piloted Guest House to victory for Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr) in the $5 million Golden Slipper on Saturday at Rosehill. 

The son of former top rider Jeff Lloyd was thrilled to see his debutant chaser also win the following day. 

“First starter, good win,” Lloyd said of Prowl’s run. 

“We bought the bitch Newhaven Nellie and she had 10 pups. The first one has won two from four, Zhang.

“And, this was the second one running on Sunday night.”

Despite starting short in the market, Prowl did not have it all her way on debut.

She was slow away from the pink alley but stayed close enough to pounce after the home bend to score by a touch over a length in 30.09 seconds over 520 metres.

Race caller and form analyst John 'Bunny' Brasch made special mention of Lloyd and his syndicate of fellow jockeys during the race on Sunday.

“The boys will be prowling the town tonight,” Brasch said.

“Prowl was a big winner.”

Lloyd races Prowl and Zhang alongside young Group 1-winning jockeys Tyler Schiller and Dylan Gibbons in their Group 1 Pups Syndicate.

The jockeys picked up Newhaven Nellie through Clinton Payne, who is a thoroughbred journalist as well as being a greyhound owner and breeder.

Experienced dog man Dart believes 520 metres will just be a starting point for his talented bitch.

“It was very good, she is an exciting greyhound,” Dart said of Sunday’s triumph.

“In another two or three months, she will be running 600 or 700 metres, which will be good.

“She is not really a 520 metre dog. She is a stayer in the making. All the way through, every time we stepped her up a little bit, she got faster.

“Her last section was always getting faster and faster. She is only little, but she looks like she's a dead-set stayer.”

Dart deals regularly with Payne and Schiller, which led to him eventually picking up Prowl for his kennel.

The veteran trainer has relocated to Queensland over the last few years and was happy to take on Prowl as the bitch is a granddaughter to Mrs. Thursday.

“They rang me and asked if I would train her,” Dart recalled.

“I thought about it all. When they said she was related to Mrs. Thursday, I was happy to take her.

“I have had a lot of luck with that breed over the years.”

Prowl is yet to turn two years of age. 

Mrs. Thursday was a top chaser in her day and ran in several feature events.

“She was one of the best stayers I ever had,” Dart said.

Prowl will be back at the track on Sunday and Dart thinks she will soon step up to 600 metres.

The Dart kennel has started the 2026 campaign strongly with 11 winners dating back to late January as they are focusing on quality over quantity after shifting north.

Dart is looking forward to bringing back Typhoon Baylee, who he owns, to Hatton Vale for the upcoming Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival.

Group-class chaser Typhoon Baylee has campaigned with Jason Thompson in Melbourne in recent times.