Glyn Schofield emerged from Tuesday’s barrier trial session at Rosehill optimistic he had found the right horse for Saturday’s rich Inglis Nursery at Randwick.
The jockey put Victorian colt Extreme Choice through its paces in a 900m heat and was sufficiently impressed to label the youngster a genuine chance in Saturday’s $500,000 race.
“It’s the first time I’ve ridden him and I think his first time this way round but he handled it very well,” Schofield said.
“He gave me a lovely feel. A very professional horse.
“He showed good speed and he’s a lovely little two-year-old.”
Trainer Mick Price sent Extreme Choice to Rosehill to fulfil a requirement under the local rules of racing that a horse contest an official barrier trial before it can race.
The two-year-old will be conceding race experience to the majority of his 13 rivals who include Gimcrack Stakes runner-up Jeanneau and the Tony McEvoy-trained Jackson, a debut winner of the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes in Melbourne.
But Schofield says that what Extreme Choice lacks in race smarts can be balanced by his raw talent and a good barrier draw in five.
“Race experience, as we know with two-year-olds, counts for a lot,” he said.
“But he’s drawn a soft gate, he’s got good trial form behind him, the stable has got a good opinion of him and so do I.”
Schofield has a handy book of rides at the feature summer meeting at Randwick highlighted by iron mare Casino Dancer in the Villiers Stakes.
He also reunites with Canberra three-year-old Bring A Secret in the $250,000 Inglis Sprint.
Placed at stakes level during the Brisbane winter carnival, Bring A Secret was found to have a breathing issue after a first-up failure at Canberra and has subsequently undergone surgery to fix the problem.
Schofield is hoping the horse can live up to the potential he showed as a juvenile.
“He felt, last preparation, like he had races in him,” Schofield said.
