Promising apprentice Chad Schofield will be out of action until next month, prompting trainer David Payne to utilise fellow youngster Blake Spriggs on two mounts at Rosehill on Saturday.
Schofield, who is indentured to Payne, was hurt when he was dislodged from the Clarry Conners-trained Princess Electra before the first race at Bathurst on Sunday.
“He’s broken a bone in his hand so he will probably be out for three to four weeks,” Payne said.
With Schofield on the injured list, Payne has called on two-kilo claimer Spriggs to ride two of his five runners at Rosehill.
Spriggs will partner Ranchero in the That’s Fishy Hcp (2000m) and the in-form Kimberley Kid in the final event.
An up-and-coming stayer by So You Think’s sire High Chaparral, Ranchero is also stoutly bred on his dam’s side being out of a Star Way mare.
Payne toyed with starting him in last weekend’s Stayer’s Cup (3200m) but decided it might prove a bridge too far for the inexperienced three-year-old at this stage of his career.
“The two miles would have been ideal, that’s what he’s looking for,” Payne said.
“But it was just too soon for him.
“The penny is only just starting to drop.”
Ranchero has started four times for two placings, including a last-start third to Crossbow over 1800m at Randwick.
Payne gives him a strong chance on Saturday and hopes he might measure up to some of the better staying races in time.
“It’ll be another year before I even look at those races but he is a real stayer,” Payne said.
“I think he’ll run very well (on Saturday), he’s improving all the time.”
Stablemate Dream Supreme will tackle the same race and his last-start third to Merchandise was franked when that galloper scored impressively at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Spriggs and Payne will again team up with Kimberley Kid who has been racing in great heart, winning two of his past four starts.
“He is really well and he is putting it all together at the moment,” Payne said.
Payne’s San Jose will be one of the more experienced juveniles in the Birch And Waite Foods Hcp (1100m) with two starts under his belt.
He followed a debut second at Canterbury with a sound fifth to Matignon on a very heavy Kensington track at Randwick and Payne said he would appreciate the slightly firmer footing expected at Rosehill.
“Last start I don’t think he could handle the wet track but his previous run was very good,” Payne said.
Future Solution, one of five rides for top Victorian jockey Damien Oliver at Rosehill, will round out Payne’s quintet in the GWF Foodservice Hcp (1500m).
AAP TURF
