Fradd takes premiership lead

Robbie Fradd has a slender lead over friend and rival Jeff Lloyd in the Brisbane premiership.

Robbie Fradd is on his way to Mauritius and can hardly wait to catch up with rival jockey Jeff Lloyd to tell him the premiership situation in Brisbane.

The two South African ex-pat jockeys are great friends but fierce rivals for the Brisbane jockeys’ premiership which Lloyd has dominated for the past two seasons.

Fradd has been in great form and his win on Pegapus on Saturday lifted him to 37-1/2 winners, half a win in front of Lloyd.

The pair rode in a jockeys’ challenge in Mauritius on Decenber 2 and 3 which Fradd won.

Lloyd remained in Mauritius on holiday and to serve a suspension but Fradd returned to Brisbane to ride for the All Stars in the Jockeys’ Origin series won by Clare Lindop and Luke Nolen representing Victoria.

Fradd will rejoin his family in Mauritius for a break on Monday.

“Jeff got a bit of a shock when I told him last week that I rode 5-1/2 winners at the Gold Coast to be catching him,” Fradd said.

Fradd rode winners at Doomben on Friday and Saturday to sweep to the lead.

But his lead could be short lived as Lloyd is expected back in Brisbane on Saturday and should be back in the saddle at Doomben.