Glyn Schofield has been involved in several of James Cummings’ biggest career milestones, now he hopes to deliver him a first Everest win.
It is Thursday morning, two days out from the $15 million The Everest, and having made the trip from Sydney to Gosford for a barrier trial session, Glyn Schofield is preparing to drive more than two hours south to ride at Kembla Grange.
For a decorated and experienced jockey who has won Group 1 races in four countries, Schofield is putting in the hard yards.
You could say it is that same tenacity and work ethic that has led to him receiving a call-up from Godolphin to partner Ingratiating in The Everest on Saturday, but Schofield’s perspective is much simpler.
“You know what, I just love what I do,” Schofield said.
“It’s a great job. When you think about it, you’re cantering down to the barriers and you’re on one of the most beautiful animals on the earth.
“I’ve been in it a long time and you do take those things for granted sometimes.
“But they supply us with our living, you’re under the sky, you’re your own boss. It’s fantastic, it really is. I’m blessed.”
It is a refreshing take on the life of a jockey, humble, and it will be with that same calm and gratitude that Schofield heads onto the Randwick track just before 4.15pm on Saturday.
Godolphin belatedly announced Ingratiating as its Everest contender on Monday and Schofield only discovered he had the ride “a little bit before everybody else”.
It isn’t his first Everest. He finished fourth on Le Romain in 2018 and also has plenty of experience to draw on from his times riding Hay List during that horse’s epic battles with champion Black Caviar.
But it is perhaps his link with Godolphin trainer James Cummings that will mean the most.
Schofield rode Cummings’ first Group 1 winner as a trainer in his own right – Prized Icon in the 2016 Champagne Stakes – and was again part of a milestone moment when he gave the young horseman his first major for Godolphin, courtesy of Alizee in the following year’s Flight Stakes.
Cummings’ career has continued to flourish and while he might have good bloodline, Schofield says Cummings has forged a path of his own.
“It’s one thing having a name, it’s another thing doing what he’s done,” Schofield said.
“He has clearly done it really well.”
Ingratiating will start one of the outsiders in an Everest field that boasts the best sprinter in the world in Nature Strip, along with seasoned foes Eduardo and Masked Crusader and an up-and-coming brigade of horses, many still wet behind the ears.
But Godolphin’s decision to choose the Schillaci Stakes runner-up ahead of Paulele and Kementari gives Schofield faith that the horse can perform better than his odds suggest.
“It’s amazing how that team get their horses to lift at the right time of each carnival,” he said.
“Godolphin has thought long and hard over their selection for their slot and it gives me a lot of confidence they selected this horse over a number of others.
“The top end of the market has some household names in it, but hopefully we can upset the apple cart.”
