A persistent father, patient approach and another brilliant ride helped Chad Schofield parlay his Everest win into the next biggest prize in Sydney racing on Saturday when driving Skyhook to victory in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Randwick.
asserted
Schofield → help → Randwick
Two weeks after taking Ciaron Maher-trained Tempted to an upset win over Ka Ying Rising with his first ride in the $20 million Everest, Schofield lifted Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-prepared Skyhook to victory for the rich feature for four-year-olds after Kerrin McEvoy was forced off the ride with a suspension for excessive whip use in the Geelong Cup.
asserted
McEvoy → take → Cup
Schofield joined Glen Boss (2019) as the only jockeys to claim the lucrative double in the same year.
uncertain
Schofield → join → year
He pushed forward from gate one to give Tempted a dream run in the Everest, but had to take Skyhook ($11) across from gate 14 of 16 on Saturday to sit outside leader Beiwacht before allowing Apocalyptic to go ahead.
asserted
Apocalyptic → push → Beiwacht
Skyhook pinched a breather in the box seat before going stride for stride with Michael Freedman-trained Decorum ($71) over the final furlong and getting the bob for a nose victory in a track record time.
asserted
Skyhook → pinch → time
Favourite Sheza Alibi ($1.50) was surrounded when she settled midfield and never saw clear air, finishing 11th.
asserted
she → surround → air
Schofield had knocked back two unattractive rides in the Golden Eagle, meaning he was available when McEvoy was outed.
“We only had two jockeys ring up, it was Chad and Ethan Brown,” Ryan said.
asserted
Ryan → knock → Eagle
“All due respect to Ethan, he’s a great rider, but I don’t think I’ve spoken to the bloke, and I gave Chad one of his first rides, at Kembla … and his father [Glyn] was pretty persistent on the phone.
asserted
father → ’ → phone
“I’ve known Chad since he was 12 years old.
asserted
he → know → Chad
I’ve watched him all the way through, and he was chasing, chasing [the ride].
asserted
he → watch → ride
He rang a couple of owners, which I don’t like jockeys doing, but he did.
asserted
he → ring → which
And I thought, why not?
asserted
I → think → ?
We know him well and I had a good bit of luck with his father.”
asserted
I → know → father
Schofield said it had been an “amazing couple of weeks”.
asserted
it → say → weeks
“Just so thankful for the opportunity,” Schofield said.
asserted
Schofield → say → opportunity
I paid homage to Kerrin.
asserted
I → pay → Kerrin
It was the biggest payday for the Rosehill stable of Ryan and Alexiou and guaranteed Skyhook, a son of Written Tycoon, a future at stud.
asserted
It → guarantee → stud
“A couple of studs have enquired, but we haven’t done anything,” Ryan said.
asserted
Ryan → enquire → anything
“I said to the owners, how about leaving it until after the autumn.
asserted
I → say → autumn
Whether he races on as a five-year-old, I don’t know.”
asserted
I → race → old
Godolphin cash in on right track
Godolphin was looking to the CF Orr Stakes with Pericles after the veteran stormed down the inside to a track record win in the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m).
asserted
veteran → look → Stakes
The Bjorn Baker-trained seven-year-old was put on the fence behind the leaders from gate two by Dylan Gibbons before pouncing late and holding out a fast-finishing Headwall by three quarters of a length.
asserted
old → train → length
Pericles was also an acceptor for the 1400m Damien Oliver at Flemington, but connections opted for the richer 1300m race.
asserted
connections → opt → race
It paid off handsomely.
asserted
It → pay → ?
Pericles took home $1.725 million for the win and collected another $800,000 as part of the Sydney sprint series, lifting his career earnings past $9.7 million.
asserted
Pericles → take → million
Everest winner Tempted collected another $1 million and Headwall grabbed a $700,000 bonus.
asserted
Headwall → collect → bonus
Baker had trained Pericles to sprint this campaign, with hopes of a slot in the $20 million Everest.
asserted
Baker → train → Everest
The cracking pace set and the barrier helped him clock 1:14.05 on Saturday, bettering Trapeze Artist’s 2019 record of 1:14.19.
Godolphin racing and bloodstock manager Jason Walsh said the group 1 CF Orr (1400m) at Sandown on November 14 could be next for Pericles.
“We were talking about the CF Orr Stakes from here, but a little bit might depend on whether Beiwacht is turning up there as well, but that’s probably the next option,” Walsh said.
uncertain
Walsh → set → Stakes
“From the minute he was transferred to Bjorn he made a lot of commentary about how fast he was and I think we’ve seen that today.
asserted
we → transfer → that
He obviously had two six furlong runs in preparation for it and he looked pretty well at home there today.
asserted
he → have → home
“He’s a very, very talented animal and his distance range is probably somewhere there up to a mile, and he’s taking us to a lot of big days and it’s great to get a result like that.
asserted
it → ’ → that
“On exposed evidence, I think there’s every reason to think that [he would go to the 1400m Damien Oliver], but he’s tried something different with him this prep and it’s come off in a big way.”
asserted
it → expose → way
Tommy Berry took Chris Waller-trained Travolta to victory in the day’s final feature, the $750,000 listed Sydney Gold Cup (2000m).
asserted
Berry → take → feature
Frenchman makes stand with tough mare
Marc Chevalier hoped to build the quality, then the quantity of his small stable after $30,000 yearling Stand My Ground gave the Hawkesbury trainer his biggest victory with a fighting effort first-up in the $500,000 Four Pillars Midway (1500m).
asserted
Ground → make → Midway
Stand My Ground overcame a draw in 17 and a four-wide run under Tyler Schiller to hit the front at the 200m mark then hold off Cuban Cigar in a photo-finish.
asserted
Ground → overcome → finish
The success trumped the 2022 listed Christmas Cup victory of Torrens as a career highlight for Chevalier, who started training in 2021 and has 13 horses in work.
asserted
who → trump → work
The four-year-old North Pacific mare was set for the race just three days after finishing 15 lengths away in the group 1 2400m Australian Oaks in April at her fourth start.
asserted
mare → set → start
Chevalier was bullish about the chances of Stand My Ground on Tuesday and his faith in the $10 hope did not waiver after the draw.
asserted
faith → waiver → draw
“I was telling the owner [Dr Ule Crosson] before the draw that I want anything except barrier one, then we drew 20 and he said, ‘well, you got what you wished for’,” Chevalier said.
asserted
Chevalier → tell → what
I knew it was going to make it a bit harder.
asserted
it → know → ?
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
