New Experience For Chad Schofield
- Friday, 03 July 2015 08:22
Australian jockey Chad Schofield will add to his overseas experience when he rides for the first time in his native South Africa.
Schofield, who has been spending the southern hemisphere winter in England, will ride Australian-bred colt The Conglomerate in South Africa's biggest race, the Grade One Durban July (2200m) at Greyville.
The talented rider returns to the UK following Saturday's race before heading to Hong Kong to ride for six months.
Jockey Chad Schofield
Schofield answered an SOS from expatriate British trainer Joey Ramsden to take the mount on the three-year-old, a son of 2004 Australian Horse of the Year Lonhro from 2002 Australian Oaks winner Republic Lass.
His regular rider Anton Marcus is unable to make the 53kg The Conglomerate will carry and instead will be aboard Legal Eagle who is also owned by Marcus and Ingrid Jooste.
"We came in with a light weight and while a few guys wanted to ride him, Marcus and Ingrid are about excellence and they wanted to get someone who is excellent in the business," Ramsden said.
"Anton Marcus was really going to struggle to get down to 54 let alone 53, so we looked around for who is the best in the world.
"We've got a lovely young man and he's really excited about coming here.
"I hope my horse is up to his standard and my job has been done well enough for him."
The Conglomerate won at Grade Two level over 1600m on May 2 before running third in a Grade One over 2000m on May 30.
Ramsden said The Conglomerate had trained on well since that performance.
Wylie Hall, Majmu, Tamaanee and Mac De Lago are other Australian-bred horses contesting the race with Ramsden rating Futura, Wylie Hall, Legal Eagle and Majmu as The Conglomerate's toughest opponents.
