Chad Schofield opened his South African rides at Greyville on Saturday with a fine second place on the Joey Ramsden trained St Tropez in the R500,000, Group 3 The tabGold (2200m).
It was the first ride ever for Schofield who was brought up in the country before his family relocated to Australia, but he showed polish guiding the Silvano three-year-old in his first look at Greyville famous track.
Schofield settled St Tropez in seventh on the rails as the field left the start position in the back straight where later in the programme the field for the Group 1 Vodacom Durban July would line up.
Ultimate Dollar and former Durban July winner S'Manga Khumalo led the field through to the top of the main straight and then kicked away to leave the rest to chase.
Schofield meanwhile had taken St Tropez wide and he followed Balance Sheet and Stuart Randolph wide on the track. Khumalo had also taken the wide path as he stormed away. Balance Sheet started to feel the pressure with 150m to run and Schofield sent St Tropez inside to continue his sustained run.
St Tropez was not going to catch the leader, but the gelding did not falter in the chase and they ended up 33 1/4L behind Ultimate Dollar (Jet Master) at the line with Khumalo celebrating the win with his usual gusto.
Dynamic (Dynasty) and Richard Fourie were third, with the margin 3/4L, racing closer to the inside rail with Balance Sheet staying on for fourth,
“The track is lovely, a beautiful nice smooth track which allows a horse to really get balanced. It is quite a short run for home, but a nice track to ride on,” said Schofield.
“I peeled out wide and then came back to the middle but the track seems the same. He kept chasing hard and he was strong to the line,” he added.
The ride was a near perfect look at the track for Schofield who rides the Ramsden trained The Conglomerate (AUS) in the feature R3.5m, Vodacom Durban July (2200m).
In the long distance stayers contest, the R500,000, Group 2 SABC Gold Vase (3000m) the appropriately named Heart Of A Lion (Seul Amour) and Muzi Yeni held off Wild Ash (AUS) (Dylan Thomas), Piere Strydom, and Solid Speed (Dynasty), Karl Neisus with the margins 3/4L and a neck.
