Craig Kerry
A patient approach to the Golden Eagle has paid off for an empathetic and thankful Chad Schofield, who hopes to make the most of his Everest momentum on Saturday with three feature pick-up rides at Randwick.
Schofield was the major beneficiary of Kerrin McEvoy missing the Randwick program through an eight-meeting suspension for breaching whip rules on Geelong Cup runner-up Small Fry. McEvoy used the whip three times more than permitted before the last 100m and failed to have the ban reduced on appeal, despite having an excellent record. He returns for Tuesday’s Big Dance card at Randwick.
With McEvoy out, Schofield gained the chance on Skyhook ($14 TAB) in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m), Headwall ($4 favourite) in the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) and Starzintheireyes ($3.90 favourite) in the $750,000 Sydney Gold Cup (2000m).
Schofield, still riding the high of his Everest win on Tempted two weeks ago with his first chance in the $20 million race, was grateful for the opportunities but empathetic of McEvoy’s plight. Schofield was given an 11-meeting ban, as part of a 29-meeting overall penalty, for whip use at Flemington last year when winning the Champions Mile on Ceolwulf.
“It’s horrible for Kerrin to miss out on three good rides like that, it’s not nice and I feel sorry for him, but if anyone’s going to pick them up, I’m glad it’s me,” Schofield said.
“Typical Kerrin, the gentleman he is, he only wants to try and help, so I’ve spoken to him about those horses. It was just about the little idiosyncrasies those horses have and their demeanour, more than anything.
“[The Everest win] gives them all confidence. The trainers can go to their owners and say, ‘how about Chad, coming off that win’. I just hope I can continue to make the most of the opportunities that come my way.”
The chance on Skyhook came through a mix of luck and strategy. The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained entire has been in career-best form leading into his target race, winning the Theo Marks and Shannon Stakes before a close second in the Silver Eagle. The only negative for the combination on Saturday is the draw in 16.
“I got offered a couple of rides in the Golden Eagle but none that I believed could win the race, so we sat on the fence and we were available when the news came out that Kerrin was gone,” said Schofield, who took Ostraka to 13th in the 2024 edition for the same connections in his only ride in the rich race for four-year-olds.
“Obviously, I was one of a number of jockeys who asked to be a replacement, but luckily they gave me the chance.
“The horse is flying. I went in and galloped him on Tuesday and he feels great. He’s fit and ready to go.
“The draw is far from ideal, but he’s a horse with good gate speed. He always races in a prominent position. We’ve got a nice, long run to the first turn, so we’ll do it gradually and try and offset that gate the best way possible.”
Matt Smith-trained Headwall made up good ground to finish three-quarters of a length away in the Everest (1200m) from Tempted, which Schofield rides next week at Flemington in the Champions Sprint. It was that path that left the door open for Saturday’s ride from gate three.
“We didn’t take a ride in the race because we were waiting to hear what Tempted was doing,” Schofield said.
“It was a possible option for her, so we were available in the Russell Balding.
“He got a lovely ride in the Everest by Kerrin and I thought he ran a terrific race. He was nice and strong at the end of it, too. It’s a 100m further, but a soft gate will help that, so hopefully I can give him an economical run and he can be strong at the end of 1300.”
John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-prepared Starzintheireyes also has a favourable draw, in four. The five-year-old was second twice this preparation before coming from the outside gate and last to finish a length and a quarter away in a 2000m benchmark 88.
“He’s a nice, progress horse and I think he’s well-weighted with only 54 kilos,” Schofield said.
“He looks like a horse on the way up, so he should get a really good run from that gate and hopefully be a bit closer than he was last time. I think he’s going to be hard to beat.”
Schofield was fourth last week in the Cox Plate on Ceolwulf, which is now spelling. He rides Formal Display from gate two in the Big Dance on Tuesday.
Munce counts on brave run for special cause
Queensland trainer Chris Munce is confident Brave Monarch will run better than his odds suggest and provide funds to a cause close to his heart in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) on Saturday.
The former champion jockey, who now trains in partnership with his son, Corey, has Brave Monarch as a $101 chance in the rich race for four-year-olds at Randwick.
Brave Monarch has five of his 10 starts, including victories in the group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) and listed Daybreak Lover (1400m), but he was four lengths away last time out in the Silver Eagle (1300m) and faces a steep jump in class.
Munce hoped for a better run in transit for jockey Martin Harley on Saturday from gate seven after Brave Monarch worked forward from a wide barrier in the Silver Eagle before fading late.
“He’s going well and he’ll run a nice race,” Munce said.
“He won the Guineas up here, and he’s a nice horse. He’ll run better than a 100-1 pop.
“It was the plan to run third-up here. He ran third up in the Guineas when he won, so it’s probably worked out well. Then he can come back, freshen up and he can run in a couple of races up here in the summer.
“We’re under no illusions there, but they are four years old and they are never going to get a chance to run in a $10 million race again, so you’ve got to have a crack.
“I think the 1500 suits him better. He’s settled in, he took a couple of days to settle in once he got down there, but he seems to have settled in well now, and I think he looks very, very well.”
Munce will take extra satisfaction from an upset result, given 10 per cent of prizemoney from the Golden Eagle goes to allocated charity partners. Brave Monarch was paired with Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation, which supports mobile home care units for children with cancer. Munce won his own battle with throat cancer, which was discovered in 2012, when he was still riding.
“It’s nice to have something like that to contribute to,” he said.
“I was given the all clear a couple of years back now. Obviously at the time, it’s something you have to deal with and you’ve just got to battle it your own way the best you can, and have faith in your doctors.”
Munce, meanwhile, said Nivison winner Gerringong would race again in Sydney next week, in the group 2 Hot Danish Stakes at Rosehill, after her fourth last start in the $2 million Invitation.
“She ran terrific the other day in the Invitation,” he said.
“She was a bit slow out then got cluttered up, didn’t have a lot of racing room, then got out when it was a bit too late.
“Not that she would have threatened the winner, but she probably should have finished second or third with equal luck in running.”
The stable had reason to celebrate on Friday when Carravilla sneaked into the $3 million Big Dance at Randwick next Tuesday. The Lismore Cup winner was the last horse into the 20-strong field and will have stable rider Tahlia Fenlon aboard with gate 16.
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