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Zac Lloyd shines on Moonfall for Bow Echo team
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Thu 18 Jun 2026
Australian jockey Zac Lloyd snatched his first Royal Ascot winner with a composed ride on Moonfall in the Britannia Stakes for George Boughey.
The 22-year-old has flown halfway across the globe for a summer stint in the UK, predominantly riding for the Craven House handler, and he provided Boughey’s second victory of the week following Bow Echo’s St James’s Palace Stakes success in the same colours of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid.
Moonfall was always prominent in the one-mile contest and hit the front in the final quarter of the race.
The 30 runners were split into two groups but it was the near rail that prevailed, with the 13-2 shot leading the way by three-quarters of a length ahead of Outback Heat and Jamestown.
“Zac gave him a beautiful ride, very cool,” Boughey said.
“It might sound mad, but I almost got more of a buzz out of that (than Bow Echo). It’s almost business with Bow Echo whereas handicaps are good fun.
“Zac has come over to ride for us primarily. I called him in the winter and it’s nice when it comes off. He’s a very light young man and he obviously rides very well. Thrilled.
“He’s a beautiful rider, he’s been in a lot riding out for us. I was really keen to get him over. Zac’s taken it by storm down in Australia and it’s great to provide him with his first Royal Ascot winner.”
Lloyd added: “This is unreal. To ride a winner here is very special. He was probably my only bullet for the week.”
Generic (18-1) sprung a surprise in the Hampton Court Stakes when denying Aidan O’Brien’s favourite Endorsement by a length.
Andrew Balding’s Kameko gelding was nicely positioned through the mile-and-two-furlong contest, with James Doyle sat in behind the Ballydoyle frontrunner.
Endorsement burst clear, but Generic was sweeping along in behind and eventually got himself in front to seal Doyle’s second victory of the day.
Balding said: “I thought James gave him a peach of a ride and I was always confident when he peeled out the horse would find something.
“We’ll let the dust settle and look at the options. This is his distance and he’s the type of horse who could go travelling and there might be some nice international races for him.”
A brilliant finish saw Mezcala conclude Thursday’s racing with a hard-fought half-length success in the Buckingham Palace Stakes, as Jack Channon landed his first Royal Ascot success.
Even inside the final furlong, the Expert Eye gelding – winner of the Lincoln in March – had a lot to do but he bounded through an inviting gap for Tom Marquand to power through and edge out the front-running Elarak as the 9-2 joint-favourite.
“He’s a very good horse,” Channon said. “There is no secret that we were training him for the Hunt Cup.
“We thought the Hunt Cup would be his race, but he’s had cover today – the first time he’s had it this year – and he’s got a great turn of foot. He’s a very good horse and it’s brilliant for the whole team at West Ilsley.”
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