Records were broken across the board during the 2015/16 racing season in Queensland, as participants raised the bar with their achievements.
Jockey Jeff Lloyd created history on Saturday when he became the oldest jockey to win the Queensland Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premiership at age 54. Fittingly, Lloyd won the final Metropolitan race of the season to edge six-and-a-half wins clear of closest rival Jim Byrne and claim his first title in Queensland.
“It was outstanding winning my last ride of the season,” said Lloyd, reflecting after the last at Doomben on Saturday.
“There was a lot of family friends here today, I had no idea they were here, my wife just brought them up so it was a great surprise.
“She’s always been passionate about my racing, she’s from a racing family, so she knows what it’s like and how tough it can be, it’s great we’ve finished on such a good note.”
Making a comeback to riding after suffering a stroke in 2013, Lloyd is not entertaining any thoughts of retirement heading into the new racing season.
“I’ll definitely keep going, there’s nothing better, you can’t beat days like these,” said Lloyd.
Trainer Tony Gollan was another to soar to new heights during the 2015/16 season, setting a new record for most metropolitan winners in a season en route to claiming his third successive Queensland Metropolitan Trainers’ Premiership.
Gollan finished the year with a record-breaking total of 87.5 wins, beating his previous record of 79 wins set last season.
Gollan was quick to point out the fantastic team of people that helped make the stable tick as team Gollan looks to continue its success heading into the new racing season.
“I’m blessed to have the support from some really, really good clients and I’ve got some really good staff and my family around me,” said Gollan.
“My wife and my immediate family are a huge support … I’m just a very lucky bloke who’s getting the limelight for training winners, but there’s a big team behind me.
“We want to be strong here again next season, we go to 90 boxes in the new stables at Eagle Farm at the end of the year, so we want to be a strong force here in Queensland for another season and hopefully we can do that.”
Boom Queensland apprentice James Orman capped his most successful season by winning the Queensland Metropolitan Apprentices Premiership and also claiming the Provincial Jockeys and Apprentices titles.
In a true indication of his rise to prominence during the 2015/16 season, Orman finished a credible third on the Queensland Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premiership on 70 wins, behind Lloyd (80 wins) and Byrne (73-1/2 wins).
“It was a good season for me, I was focused on winning the seniors premiership but I couldn’t do it this year, I’m hoping maybe I can do it next year,” said Orman, who rode a total of 143 winners overall for the season.
“I had a few goals set out, to win a few feature races of the carnival and I got that, so it was a good season and a good year for me, next season I’ll hopefully be coming out as a senior so hopefully I can build on it.”
Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick took out the Queensland Provincial Trainers’ Premiership with 58 wins at an impeccable strike rate of 17.6 per cent while Mackay trainer John Manzelmann claimed the Queensland Country Trainers’ Premiership with 53 winners.
The Queensland Country Jockeys’ Premiership was convincingly won by Dan Ballard with 46-1/2 winners, 16-1/2 wins ahead of nearest rival Stephanie Lacy, who claimed the Queensland Country Apprentices Premiership with 30 wins.
Lacy finished just two wins ahead of Hannah English in the race for the Country Apprentices title.
