CHAD SCHOFIELD DECIDES TO HEAD BACK TO SYDNEY

By Graham Potter | Sunday, November 21, 2021

Jockey Chad Schofield will return to Australia after the Hong Kong International Races in December.

Schofield’s original three-month riding contract in Hong Kong turned into a very extended stay with the rider currently competing in his seventh successive season in Hong Kong but now, with a baby boy due in February, Schofield believes the time is right to move his family back to be close to extended family members back in Sydney, where he will base himself when he resumes riding in Australia.

The big tick on Schofield’s riding record is a Cox Plate winning ride on Shamus Award in 2013 … which was quite an incredible result as Schofield was still an apprentice at the time and Shamus Award was still a Maiden when he galloped to the start of the big race.

Schofield also has the rare distinction of having won Apprentice Premierships in both Sydney and Melbourne.

In Hong Kong, Schofield produced a credible, consistent number of winners in his first five seasons, getting his best overall result in the 2019/20 season in which he secured forty-three wins.

The last two seasons have not been as productive for Schofield, with this season, in particular, showing a sharp drop off with Schofield having only saluted three time from sixty-eight rides. The top nine riders on the premiership table have all had more than double Schofield’s amount of rides, underlining the downturn in opportunity for Schofield at this time.

Schofield has indicated that, on his return, he will probably take the Christmas period off with the family before tackling his new role head-on, a challenge he is looking forward to with some excitement.