Zac Lloyd weaved a passage down the Randwick straight on Territory Express to give trainer Paul Niceforo a career highlight in Saturday’s $1,000,000 Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m).
Coming off a narrow second to Democracy Manifest in the Group II Ajax Stakes at Rosehill, the 4-year-old son of Territories (IRE) scythed between runners to defeat the Headwater gelding Strait Acer by a length with the Dissident mare Shadows Of Love back in third.
It was a harrowing watch for connections, particularly for the trainer who has suffered two heart attacks and a stroke.
“We picked him out of the paddock when he was a baby and he’s always shown me ability when he was going around the paddock,” Paul Niceforo said.
“He came to the stable, and he is such a nice horse. He just tries.
“I’ve been so confident right from weeks ago and everything has gone well, the whole preparation has been perfect so I can’t complain.
“He’s such a nice horse. Look out Cox Plate, here we come.
“ I thought he would have been in the finish in the Doncaster, so he’s a lovely horse. That’s how much confidence I had in the horse
“I’ve been around a long time and I’ve never had a horse as good as this bloke.”
Zac Lloyd said it was a thrill to win for connections.
“I just wanted to get that job done for Paul and Maryanne. They’re such great people. That felt like group one. Even though they haven’t had a group one, if felt like that for them,” Lloyd revealed.
“For me, obviously on a big day like today, it wasn’t where they wanted it to be ridden but I had no option
“I’ve known this horse since he was a two-year-old and to get the job done for them, I really think highly of this horse and I am thankful to get the ride on a big day.
“Maryanne gave me one instruction and that was to get to the outside. He is a hard horse to get to the outside. He jumps so slowly and there are horses all around him.
“I had no option but to go through them but he’s got such a good turn-of-foot, he makes runs and thankfully we got the breaks today.”
Territory Express advances his record to four wins, two seconds, and two thirds from 14 starts with earnings of $872,775.
A homebred for the Cram and Roddy families and partners, Territory Express is the lone foal of the Sebring mare Miss Chattering, who missed the season after Territory Express and was not covered for the following four seasons before being retired.
