Craig Kerry
It was all a blur for Chad Schofield when he won the Cox Plate as a 19-year-old star apprentice in 2013 on maiden long shot Shamus Award.
Schofield’s breakthrough group 1 win in Australasia’s premier weight-for-age championship, the first by an apprentice in 38 years, was part of a whirlwind, dual premiership run, before a seven-year stint in Hong Kong.
But after a challenging return to Australian racing, culminating in a career-highlight win in the $20 million Everest last Saturday with Tempted with his first ride in the race, Schofield knows he will appreciate a second Cox Plate victory a lot more.
“It feels like forever ago, and geez, it would be very special to win another one,” said Schofield, 32, who will partner Ceolwulf in the $6 million Cox Plate at Flemington.
“When I won the Cox Plate, I was still an apprentice and I was pretty green. It was all a blur, it just happened so quick.
“I was already doing really well. I was champion apprentice in Sydney and then in Melbourne, then bang, I won the Cox Plate, and in that season, I won four group 1s, so everything was just happening for me.
“Not long after I won the Cox Plate, I broke my neck and was out for ages. Then I was off to Hong Kong.
“That period when I was 18 and 19, everything was 100 miles an hour. I was probably too young to recognise the significance of [winning the Cox Plate]. If I was able to win it again in my early 30s, I would recognise it a lot more.
“The Everest last Saturday was amazing and if I can go seven days later and win a Cox Plate, it would be surreal.”
Ceolwulf has been a shining light for Schofield since his return to Sydney in December 2021, giving him his group 1 victories – four of them across 2024 and ’25 – before Tempted has delivered two.
“I was in Hong Kong a long time, and I think I was pretty exhausted when I came back,” Schofield said.
“It was in the middle of COVID and instead of taking a break and freshening up, I jumped straight at it. Trainers were very accommodating to give me a start, but I was riding poorly, really badly, so the chances I was getting dried up, and I found myself having to start all over again and rebuild from the bottom.
“It took time, it was a really frustrating period, it took a couple of seasons, but I feel like I’m starting to get back to where I want to be now.”
All of Ceolwulf’s group 1s have come over a mile, but Schofield was confident the Joe Pride-trained star was primed for the 2040m Cox Plate, especially with pacesetters Light Infantry Man and Land Legend in the race. After giving Tempted a gun ride to topple Ka Ying Rising in the Everest, Schofield took Ceolwulf to second behind champion Autumn Glow in the 1609m King Charles III Stakes last Saturday at Randwick.
“I feel like Ceolwulf is in career-best form,” he said.
“I thought his run was fantastic, there wasn’t a lot of speed in the race, as you would expect in a five-horse race.
“We followed her everywhere she went, but she had the perfect camp off the leaders and pinged off that slow speed. I was never going to beat her, but she didn’t demolish him.
“She held me at a two-length margin, but no more, and once I knew I wasn’t going to catch her, I looked after him because I knew the Cox Plate was a possibility.
“Joe is really happy with how he’s come through it, and I think it could work out well because I think the Cox Plate looks a high-pressure race, with two very fast, keen-going horses there, so it could be survival of the fittest. Coming off a seven-day back-up, it sets up nicely I think.
“He’s excelled over the mile, but he ran in a Derby over 2400m on a heavy track and was second to Riff Rocket, so he’s capable. He’s deep in his prep, rock-hard fit now. I’ve got no worries about the distance at all.”
Ceolwulf, with gate three, was a $7 (TAB) chance on Friday, behind Sir Delius ($4.40), Aeliana ($4.80) and Warwoven ($5.50). Schofield is set to return to Flemington on November 7 to ride Tempted in the Champions Sprint.
Healy puts faith in Brooker for bargain buy’s shot at $2m race
Former champion Queensland apprentice Tiffani Brooker thought her chance at more black-type success, after a tumultuous period in and out of the sport, was over.
Now a horse she lost the ride on, before it took her back to stakes-level glory, will give her a dream first chance in Sydney in the $2 million Invitation (1400m) on Saturday at Randwick.
Sunshine Coast trainer James Healy has turned to Brooker to pilot Arabian Rose after Tommy Berry, who rode her to a narrow second to Gerringong in the group 3 Nivison two weeks ago, switched to favourite Lazzura.
The opportunity comes after Brooker took Arabian Rose to victory in the listed Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast in July for a memorable comeback to stakes racing. Brooker had group 3 and listed wins before a fall in 2018 derailed her career. She was disqualified for nine months for a positive drugs test the following year and struggled with depression and addiction to crystal meth and cocaine before returning to racing in 2022. Brooker also retired two years ago before coming back, only to spend four months out with a broken foot.
“I’ve had a bit of an in-and-out career,” Brooker said.
“It’s a tough game, but if you keep showing up, you’re eventually going to get some luck.
“It was about seven or eight years between when I won my last black-type race then the Glasshouse, and it probably wasn’t something I thought would be possible again, not that you don’t wish and hope a horse comes along to get you there.
“I’ve ridden the horse plenty of times and had some success, so it’s a big opportunity for me, the horse and James, and I’m sure she will do us all proud.”
That special horse, though, almost got away from Brooker, who was taken off after a defeat at home on Boxing Day last year. Her first ride back on the five-year-old mare, a $7000 Inglis Digital buy for Healy, was in the Glasshouse.
“I’m on, I’m off, but that just shows the relationship James and I have,” she said.
“I’ve ridden for him from day one. I got taken off after a bad ride, but I didn’t get eliminated out of the stable. I still consistently rode a lot of winners for James. It probably made that win in the Glasshouse that bit more special.
“This is obviously a big step up for her, but she’s lifted every time James has raised the bar. Her first-up run was enormous and it didn’t shock me. She has been going so well this preparation. She’s definitely not out of it.”
The Invitation is the biggest race so far for Healy, who started training five years ago, and he had faith in the horse and Brooker.
“She ran so well the other day and just peaked on her run the last 50m,” Healy said of the $17 chance.
“I can’t work out the price, I must be silly. We meet Gerringong [$4.20] at level weights this time, we carried a kilo more last start. I thought they went pretty slow up front, which made ours and Tuileries’ runs a lot better and we’re longer in the market.
“I think the barrier draw [in three] for us was key. We’re drawn to do no work. There’s not a lot of speed on paper, but hopefully it throws up a couple of leaders and we can be a bit closer in the run.
“Tiff did all her work leading up to her last run and she won the Glasshouse with a brilliant ride, and she knows the horse probably better than anyone.
“We know we’ve got the horse to run a big race and we’ve got full faith in her and in Tiff. I think she’s a massive top-three hope with the way the favourites have drawn.”