Schofield backs star filly to deliver another Millennium day highlight

Inglis Millennium day has been good to jockey Chad Schofield and he feels this year his luck is in before a race is run.

Schofield has picked up a first ride on gun filly Tempted in Saturday’s group 3 Eskimo Prince (1200m) for three-year-olds at Randwick, a race he won last year on Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr-trained Public Attention.

Tempted cruises to victory in the group 2 Run To The Rose at Rosehill.Credit: Getty Images

It will be Tempted’s first run back since she was best of the rest behind superstar Ka Ying Rising in The Everest in October. The three-time group 2-winner was a $1.70 TAB favourite to fire first-up off one trial, as she did in the Run To The Rose in the spring for trainer Ciaron Maher.

Premier jockey James McDonald was aboard in the Randwick trial on January 27 when she was fourth, but he will ride Wodeton on Saturday. Craig Williams and Ethan Brown have also piloted Tempted, but they are at Caulfield on Saturday.

Schofield was “very thankful” for the opportunity and walked away impressed with his first ride on the Godolphin star in track work at Bong Bong on Monday.

Chad Schofield rides Learning To Fly to victory in the 2023 Inglis Millennium at Randwick.Credit: Getty Images

“She’s extremely professional, she’s a very good racehorse, she knows her job, she loves her work. Just an incredibly sharp filly, so I can’t wait to ride her,” Schofield said.

“She’s a very athletic filly and I liked the look of her trial. It’s a nice start-off point for her this preparation, and she’s going to be very hard to beat.”

Maher said Tempted seemed to have come back stronger and would follow a similar path to the spring, where she raced at 1200m (Run To The Rose), 1400m (Golden Rose) then back to 1200m (Everest).

“She’s naturally matured a little bit and she’s had a similar prep in,” Maher said.

“I think she enjoys that 1000m trial. She travelled well and quickened up, and has come through it well.

“I feel she has furnished a bit, as you would imagine a three-year-old filly would.

“She’ll go to the Surround Stakes and then it’s whether she goes to the TJ Smith. It’s a similar prep to last time, 1400 back to 1200 went very well.”

Schofield, Maher and Godolphin also combine with Threads ($14) in the listed Lonhro Plate (1000m) for two-year-olds. The Snitzel colt debuts from gate two off two trials with Schofield aboard. He closed off well for second in his most recent hit-out.

“I really like this colt,” Schofield said.

“The trial at Kembla was very nice, but a quiet one, and then I let him do a bit more the other day at Warwick Farm, and he was very good over the concluding stages under pressure, so he’s an exciting colt.

“I loved the way he jumped and put himself on the pace. The draw is an asset.”

Maher said Godolphin had earmarked Threads as one of its most promising two-year-olds heading into this season.

“He’s always shown ability,” he said.

“He’s from a family that take a little bit of time, but I think he’ll benefit off the back of his trial.”

Maher also has the favourite in the Lonhro Plate, Spicy Miss ($2.80), which was second in the Golden Gift at her only start. Zac Lloyd rides her first-up from gate three.

“She was Magic Millions [eligible], but we just thought it was better to give her a break and she would benefit skipping that for these better races,” Maher said.

“She’s changed quite a bit. She’s strengthened up, and she’ll improve a bit out of Saturday, but she’s in good order.”

Schofield is the only jockey to win the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) twice, and he links with John Thompson’s Screen Icon ($17) this year. They just fell short of catching Shiki in the Gimcrack Stakes and faces another tough task from a wide gate.

“She’s a very nice filly and she was unlucky not to win the Gimcrack,” Schofield said.

“She drew really wide and had a tough run, but she just kept finding the line and only just missed.

“John tipped her straight out and she’s strengthened up nicely since last prep. I loved her two trials. We’ve been given no favours with the barrier, but hopefully she can give me my third Millennium.”

Maher will likely have three runners in the rich two-year-old race, headlined by Inglis Banner winner Calamari Ring ($7.50). Long Throw ($16), an impressive second on debut at Rosehill, and Ghana’s Akan ($23), coming off two top-four runs in Victoria, are the others.

“It’s probably got that bit of X-factor, but it’s obviously got that wide gate to deal with,” Maher said of Calamari Ring.

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