Schofield pulls right rein for rich double as Skyhook rocks Golden Eagle

Craig KerryOctober 31, 2026 — 6:11pmA persistent father, patient approach and another brilliant ride helped Chad Schofield parlay his Everest win into the next biggest prize in Sydney racing on Saturday when driving Skyhook to victory in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Randwick.Two weeks after taking Ciaron Maher-trained Tempted to an upset win over Ka Ying Rising with his first ride in the $20 million Everest, Schofield lifted Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-prepared Skyhook to victory for the rich feature for four-year-olds after Kerrin McEvoy was forced off the ride with a suspension for excessive whip use in the Geelong Cup.Skyhook, left, beats Decorum in the Golden Eagle.Getty ImagesSchofield joined Glen Boss (2019) as the only jockeys to claim the lucrative double in the same year.He pushed forward from gate one to give Tempted a dream run in the Everest, but had to take Skyhook ($11) across from gate 14 of 16 on Saturday to sit outside leader Beiwacht before allowing Apocalyptic to go ahead.Skyhook pinched a breather in the box seat before going stride for stride with Michael Freedman-trained Decorum ($71) over the final furlong and getting the bob for a nose victory in a track record time. Beiwacht was third. Favourite Sheza Alibi ($1.50) was surrounded when she settled midfield and never saw clear air, finishing 11th.Schofield had knocked back two unattractive rides in the Golden Eagle, meaning he was available when McEvoy was outed.Chad Schofield after the win.Getty Images“We only had two jockeys ring up, it was Chad and Ethan Brown,” Ryan said. “All due respect to Ethan, he’s a great rider, but I don’t think I’ve spoken to the bloke, and I gave Chad one of his first rides, at Kembla … and his father [Glyn] was pretty persistent on the phone.“I’ve known Chad since he was 12 years old. I’ve watched him all the way through, and he was chasing, chasing [the ride]. He rang a couple of owners, which I don’t like jockeys doing, but he did. And I thought, why not? We know him well and I had a good bit of luck with his father.”Schofield said it had been an “amazing couple of weeks”.“Just so thankful for the opportunity,” Schofield said. “Two special horses to help me win those races. I paid homage to Kerrin. This is his horse. He should be here today, not me.”Chad Schofield and co-trainer Gerald Ryan.Getty ImagesIt was the biggest payday for the Rosehill stable of Ryan and Alexiou and guaranteed Skyhook, a son of Written Tycoon, a future at stud.“A couple of studs have enquired, but we haven’t done anything,” Ryan said. “I said to the owners, how about leaving it until after the autumn. Whether he races on as a five-year-old, I don’t know.”Schofield paid a price for the Skyhook win, copping a six-meeting suspension from November 8-20 for careless riding when shifting in and checking Attica near the 1100m.Godolphin cash in on right trackGodolphin was looking to the CF Orr Stakes with Pericles after the veteran stormed down the inside to a track record win in the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m).The Bjorn Baker-trained seven-year-old was put on the fence behind the leaders from gate two by Dylan Gibbons before pouncing late and holding out a fast-finishing Headwall by three quarters of a length. Baker stablemate Caballus was third.Pericles was also an acceptor for the 1400m Damien Oliver at Flemington, but connections opted for the richer 1300m race.Pericles, left, wins the Russell Balding Stakes.Getty ImagesIt paid off handsomely. Pericles took home $1.725 million for the win and collected another $800,000 as part of the Sydney sprint series, lifting his career earnings past $9.7 million. Everest winner Tempted collected another $1 million and Headwall grabbed a $700,000 bonus.Baker had trained Pericles to sprint this campaign, with hopes of a slot in the $20 million Everest. The cracking pace set and the barrier helped him clock 1:14.05 on Saturday, bettering Trapeze Artist’s 2019 record of 1:14.19.Godolphin racing and bloodstock manager Jason Walsh said the group 1 CF Orr (1400m) at Sandown on November 14 could be next for Pericles.“We were talking about the CF Orr Stakes from here, but a little bit might depend on whether Beiwacht is turning up there as well, but that’s probably the next option,” Walsh said.“From the minute he was transferred to Bjorn he made a lot of commentary about how fast he was and I think we’ve seen that today. He obviously had two six furlong runs in preparation for it and he looked pretty well at home there today.“He’s a very, very talented animal and his distance range is probably somewhere there up to a mile, and he’s taking us to a lot of big days and it’s great to get a result like that.“On exposed evidence, I think there’s every reason to think that [he would go to the 1400m Damien Oliver], but he’s tried something different with him this prep and it’s come off in a big way.”The success was a career-high payday for three-time group 1 winner Gibbons. Tommy Berry took Chris Waller-trained Travolta to victory in the day’s final feature, the $750,000 listed Sydney Gold Cup (2000m).Frenchman makes stand with tough mareMarc Chevalier hoped to build the quality, then the quantity of his small stable after $30,000 yearling Stand My Ground gave the Hawkesbury trainer his biggest victory with a fighting effort first-up in the $500,000 Four Pillars Midway (1500m).Stand My Ground overcame a draw in 17 and a four-wide run under Tyler Schiller to hit the front at the 200m mark then hold off Cuban Cigar in a photo-finish.The success trumped the 2022 listed Christmas Cup victory of Torrens as a career highlight for Chevalier, who started training in 2021 and has 13 horses in work.Stand My Ground, left, wins the Four Pillars Midway.Getty ImagesThe four-year-old North Pacific mare was set for the race just three days after finishing 15 lengths away in the group 1 2400m Australian Oaks in April at her fourth start. She was less than a length away fifth in the group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) a start earlier.Chevalier was bullish about the chances of Stand My Ground on Tuesday and his faith in the $10 hope did not waiver after the draw.“I was telling the owner [Dr Ule Crosson] before the draw that I want anything except barrier one, then we drew 20 and he said, ‘well, you got what you wished for’,” Chevalier said.“I wasn’t overly worried. I knew it was going to make it a bit harder. Maybe I was being a bit cocky, but I was also very confident. Her prep has been amazing and everything has been spot on from day one.”He said Stand My Ground could succeed in stakes grade over further and said next year’s $2 million Five Diamonds (1800m) could be a long-term goal. He hoped the training effort would boost his stable.“I think it will help, people will know a bit more about us now,” the Frenchman said.“We are not in a hurry, we don’t want to go too big, too quick, but hopefully it will bring in a few clients. I’m more keen to improve the quality than the quantity at this stage.”Adding to the win for Chevalier is the potential of a two-year-old half-sister to Stand My Ground, by State Of Rest, in his stable.Freedman looks north with RuinationMichael Freedman was eyeing Queensland targets with Ruination after the four-year-old won with a more conservative ride in the 1300m benchmark 78 handicap.The Wootton Bassett-Daysee Doom gelding, eighth last start after missing the kick, came with a strong finish under Tim Clark to shade Lightning Glory late as the $3.10 favourite.“I think he’s a very progressive horse and I think by default last start, it maybe gave Tim the right way to ride him,” Freedman said.“He has been riding him up on speed and I think it takes away his finish.“I do think he’s capable of those better handicaps around that 1300-1400m mark, so we’ll see if there’s anything for him in the stable up there leading into the Magic Millions.“Back in the autumn, particularly if we get some wet tracks, I think he’s a much better horse when he can get his toe in.”King of the country strikes againMurwillumbah trainer Matt Dunn went to 52 Highway Handicap wins in the 499th edition of the country-only Saturday city races when Bluish Hue gave Nash Rawiller an early double at Randwick.Bluish Hue ($1.65), a Highway winner then a photo-finish second to Ocean Tsunami last start in the grade, surged late with the addition of blinkers to win the 1400m class 3 by three-quarters of a length from Party Boss. Dunn said the four-year-old, now out of Highway grade with a fourth win, would likely go for a spell.Dunn’s Highway record is made even more remarkable given he was ineligible for the races for almost three years when he had city stables between 2020 and 2023, meaning he missed about 140 races.Rawiller opened the day with victory on Ciaron Maher-trained Agent Zero ($5) in the 1500m benchmark 78 handicap.Zac Lloyd also had a race-to-race double, taking Les Bridge-trained Columbus to clear win in the 2000m benchmark 78 and John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-prepared Chix to a close victory in the fillies and mares 1300m benchmark 78. Charlton said Chix could chase better races at the Magic Millions carnival after going to five wins in eight starts.From our partners