Experienced jockey Glyn Schofield has capped a remarkable comeback to the saddle with an upset stakes win aboard Yonkers at Rosehill.
Schofield had been riding at the top level in Sydney since relocating from South Africa almost 15 years ago but took a break from the sport at the end of last year to undergo surgery for nerve damage.
He spent almost nine months on the sidelines, only returning to race riding earlier this week, but his impact has been immediate.
Schofield booted home a winner at just his second meeting back at Hawkesbury on Thursday and quickly trumped that at Rosehill on Saturday with a Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) success aboard outsider Yonkers.
“I am pain-free for the first time in a long time,” Schofield said.
“I suppose that does sort of help me get back on the horses and being able to do your best.
“I rode one (winner) through the week and now to ride one on the Saturday is even better.”
Yonkers’ best form is over middle-distances and while he does sprint well fresh, trainer Chris Waller was not expecting him to make a winning return on Saturday.
“Not today, no. But obviously he’s a talented horse and he’s never really disappointed us. He’s done a great job,” Waller said.
The gelding also surprised punters, who sent him out as the roughie of the field at $41 with stablemate Imaging starting a $2.70 favourite.
But while Imaging laboured into sixth, Yonkers ran on strongly down the outside to reel in Discharged ($9.50) by a head with the Waller-trained Reloaded ($17) another half-neck away third.
