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By Ray Hickson

Punters lost a bit of faith in Godolphin galloper Tamerlane prior to his upset Winter Stakes win but jockey Zac Lloyd is more than happy to trust he can repeat the dose at Rosehill on Saturday.

Zac Lloyd (Pic: Steve Hart).

It had been almost two years and 16 starts since the gelding was sent out double figures in a race but that’s what happened two weeks ago when he took the Listed feature at $21.

Shortly after that win trainer James Cummings flagged Saturday’s Listed $200,000 Toyota Forklifts Winter Challenge (1500m) as the next step and Lloyd sees no reason why he won’t hold his form.

“I really like riding him, he’s a very simple horse to ride and I feel like we get along well,’’ Lloyd said.

“His first two runs back had been quite disappointing so I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Randwick but James said he believed the horse was back to his old self.

“So that gave me confidence and he performed well.”

It’s not going to be an easy task for Tamerlane, $4.60 with TAB on Thursday, given the 60.5kg impost as no horse has carried more than 58kg to win the race in its 11 editions to date.

Lloyd, who has his second champion apprentice title secured, says the 1500m of the Winter Challenge is ideal – Tamerlane has raced twice at the trip for a win and a second - and it comes down to the run he’s afforded as to how well he’ll cope with the weight.

“It looks a very similar race, a very winnable race, and he should be able to dominate from the front,’’ he said.

“I know Zoe’s Promise is in the race but other than that there’s not much speed and he enjoys to gallop.

“I’m confident there horse is back to his winning ways. He hasn’t been blessed too much by the handicapper with 60.5kg compared to War Eternal carrying 53kg but he’s a class horse.”

Godolphin mare Jewellery is back in Sydney after two starts at Caulfield since Lloyd rode her into third in that strong Scone race won by Elson Boy in May.

She won two starts ago and heads into the ATC Members Peter Simpson Handicap (1200m) after a close third behind the unbeaten Baraqiel three weeks ago.

“She’s going really well. Probably 1300m second-up off a long break at Scone just told there but James placed her well next start dropping to 1100m at Caulfield,’’ he said.

“She ran into a smart one last start. She’s racing very well, she’s run in some nice races and this looks a very winnable race for her.”

Lloyd opens the Rosehill meeting on Mawjood in the Precise Air Handicap (1200m) and said he likes how the form around the youngster is stacking up.

The gelding beat Godolphin’s Tarpaulin to score first-up at Warwick Farm on June 26 and Lloyd then rode Tarpaulin to victory at the same track two weeks later.

“He’s a very nice horse, I see he’s quite short but obviously he beat Tarpaulin who came out and won comfortably last week,’’ he said.

Tamerlane wins at Randwick on July 6

One of Lloyd’s four winners at last week’s Randwick meeting was Mawjood’s stablemate Brave One and interestingly he said the Tassort gelding has impressed him more.

But he’s wary, while Mawjood was $2.25 favourite with TAB on Thursday, he’ll need to get the ride right from what he sees as a tricky alley in order to get the job done.

“It’s not a great barrier but I’d say he’s quite classy,’’ he said.

“Eight of eight can be tricky because you’ve got to go right forward or right back.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting