No Sydney return for Chad Schofield despite split with David Hayes

Jockey Chad Schofield (right) says there is no bad blood with trainer David Hayes. Picture: Sara Reed
Source: News Corp Australia

CHAD Schofield has confirmed he’s no longer No. 1 stable rider for David Hayes — but there’s also no way he’ll relocate to Sydney for a fresh start.

Schofield popped up at the Kensington meeting on Wednesday, and was spotted riding work for Gai Waterhouse at the start of the week.

With Tommy Berry off to Hong Kong at the end of the carnival, a lightweight rider like Schofield would be the perfect fit for Tulloch Lodge. Schofield once rode in Sydney, and his famous father Glyn is a regular in the winner’s circle.

But Schofield told Carnival Capers he was more than happy down south, and had plenty of support from the top stables.

Schofield said there was “no bad blood’’ with Hayes after the pair were involved in a well-publicised spat last month. Hayes remains a huge fan of Schofield, and used him on Gregers in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes last Friday night.

The youngster will keep making the hit-and-run trips to Sydney on Saturdays through the carnival, where ATC Australian Derby hope Cadillac Mountain awaits tomorrow in the Rosehill Guineas. He also has plenty of time for Peter Moody’s stablemate Bring Me The Maid in the Magic Night Stakes.

Schofield has picked the new ride on Solicit, the Oaks-bound filly who lines up in the Vinery Stud Stakes next Saturday.

We reckon Chad is $1.05 to win at least one major in the coming month.

DUO’S TOUGH TIME

GLYN Schofield and Tommy Berry have had a nightmare few weeks in Singapore as Nathan Berry battles Norse syndrome.

The pair touch down in Sydney this morning and will ride at Rosehill on Saturday before they rush back to be with Nathan. Berry and Schofield have looked after their weight, but visa issues prevented them from riding trackwork while abroad.

Francesca Cumani interviews the strapper for Irish sprinter Gordon Lord Byron, Kate O’Brien. Picture: Toby Zerna
Source: News Corp Australia

FRANCESCA’S SHOOT

THE lovely Francesca Cumani was spotted at Canterbury on Wednesday morning shooting a segment on Gordon Lord Byron for Channel 7.

Cumani and the TV crew were expected to take Gordon Lord Byron’s Irish strapper Kate O’Brien and fellow countryman Eddie Power to Taronga Zoo for the day.

The dude wearing spaceman-like clothes was part of the quarantine requirements. Cumani had a second set of clothes, which meant she was spared wearing the white overalls on camera.

Speaking of Seven, an average audience of 80,000 tuned into 7TWO for last Saturday’s Coolmore Classic meeting.

Irish trainer Tom Hogan at Canterbury this week after arriving with his galloper Gordon Lord Byron. Picture: Toby Zerna
Source: News Corp Australia

HOGAN’S ZEROS

IRISH trainer Tom Hogan was happy to speak about sprinter-miler Gordon Lord Byron when he met him at Canterbury on Wednesday.

It turns out Hogan is also passionate about jumps racing, and had a message for the “do-gooders’’ ruining the sport.

“The problem with the jumps racing out here is the jumps are too small and the horses go too fast. Speed is the problem,’’ Hogan said.

“People who are anti-jumps racing and try to reduce the size of the jumps are basically people who have no idea what they’re talking about.’’

Gordon Lord Byron worked on Tuesday at Canterbury with a horse named Imperial Dynasty, a two-year-old trained by Rick Worthington who has had just the one start.

ROSEHILL’S GREY DAY

ANTHONY Cummings reckons nearly every grey he has encountered usually handles the wet. Most of the top greys, including Emancipation and Subzero, loved the mud. Cummings is hoping that rule applies to Villa Verde in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) on Saturday.

DRY RECORD HOLDS LITTLE WATER

ANOTHER long-held racing belief we learned yesterday was if a horse can run a track record on a dry track, they usually struggle in the wet. Trainer Pat Webster’s champ Ab Initio was one of the few exceptions to the rule … but he was grey.

Anthony Cummings-trained grey Villa Verde with model Rachael Finch. Picture: Toby Zerna
Source: News Corp Australia

TAYLORE UNDONE

TAYLOR Marshall was robbed of his first city win on Wednesday by fellow apprentice Sam Clipperton. Marshall went to the front and opened up what looked like a 100-length lead on stubborn mare Elusive Diva, only to be run over by Clipperton and Faust in the last stride.

The pair happen to be roommates. We hope Sam picked up the dinner tab that night.

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW

TOOHEYS New are back on board as sponsors of the Golden Slipper. The brewing giants hosted a lunch during the week for the press and some of the industry heavyweights.

We wanted to know when the world’s richest two-year-old race will be known as the Tooheys Old Golden Slipper.

It turns out Tooheys Old, the dark ale they drink in heaven — and my house every night of the week except Mondays — is still hugely popular. Tooheys told us a staggering 26,777,996 litres of the black stuff was drunk last year.

While the Slipper and Tooheys New are back in bed together, the ATC say they are “close’’ to reeling out a sponsor for The Championships’ star act, the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

No Sydney return for Chad Schofield despite split with David Hayes