The Group 1 target during Randwick’s The Championships next month is pending for the talented Matthew Smith-trained mare Idle Flyer following her strong win for the punters as the odds-on favourite in Saturday’s 2026 Emancipation Stakes.

Jockey Zac Lloyd, who took out the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes the run prior on Belle Cheval, kept the wins coming in the Group 2 $300,000 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) giving the heavily backed Dundeel four-year-old Idle Flyer ($1.90F) another peach of a ride.

“I’m riding very good horses, very expensive horses, for different owners every race and my job is to be the same every race,” Lloyd said of riding another winner after surviving a protest in the Vinery.

“I can’t let them down. It’s a short game racing, so you’ve got to have a short-term memory.”

Continuing her flawless second-up record, the progressive mare improved on her fourth fresh in the Group 3 Wenona Girl Handicap relishing a rise in trip to post her first victory since last October’s Group 3 Angst Stakes.

“She’s an outstanding mare, you just don’t get them like this very often,” Smith told Sky Thoroughbred Central after the victory.

“It hasn’t been a straightforward prep for her, it’s good for her bounce back today.

“We were a bit nervous about today because we wanted her to put that field away and show us where she’s at.”

Showing great mastery of the reins, Lloyd had Idle Flyer settled off pace but found himself in a tricky spot on the home straight caught up for a run 350m out from the line.

“I was more worried at the 500, she just dropped the bit, but she was in a very tight position the whole race, horses aren’t the happiest in that position,” Loyd said.

“For her to still quicken through there, find a gap and be strong late is a real credit to her.

“I had a lapful of horse and she was just starting to go through her gears.

“I just needed the horse in front of me to quicken another 25 metres and just allow that horse on the outside to drop off.

Once he the gap appeared, Lloyd was quick to strike, getting out on Idle Flyer who worked her way into the clear pushing past the eventual runner-up Blindedbythelight ($26) to win by 0.73 lengths with Firestorm ($19) in third adding more value to the trifecta.

“A couple of tense moments,” Smith admitted.

“To be fair Zac (Lloyd) was very confident before the race, how he was going to ride her.

“He put her exactly where he said he was, he didn’t want to be too forward.

“A bit tense at the top of the straight but he had plenty of horse under him. She’s a good mare, isn’t she?”

Smith confirmed plans to head to Randwick on April 11 with Idle Flyer now set to tackle the Group 1 $1 million Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m).

“Yes, that’s our next step,” he said.

“She’ll come on again I think, she’s a big mare now so that’ll bring her on again and fingers crossed in two weeks.”

Idle Flyer has firmed in from $13 to $7 in futures 2026 Queen Of The Turf Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.

“She’s a very good mare,” Loyd said.

“I was very confident coming into today, but the only query was 1200 straight up to 1500 and it wasn’t really a hard run 1200.

“She’s very good and she’s going to be cherry-ripe for a couple of weeks.”

2026 Queen of the Turf Stakes Odds

2026 Emancipation Stakes Results

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