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Chad Schofield has recorded his first career Group success by steering Gregers to victory in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Back to taking on her own sex after a respectable fifth in the Danehill Stakes, things worked out perfectly for Gregers and new regular rider Chad Schofield.
Positioned behind early leaders Lady Lakshmi and Monsegur in transit, Gregers was kept closest to the fence as the field fanned extremely deep turning for home.
With plenty of metres saved, Gregers still had enough in reserve to handle some of the worse ground down the Caulfield straight for her first Group level success.
“He [Schofield] could have easily led on that filly but he took a stance and made her settle in behind them,” winning trainer David Hayes said.
“I thought you had to ride for a bit of luck from that awkward barrier but if she got beat running on I still would have been happy heading towards the Guineas.
“He cut the corner and the best ride of the race probably won but she still came down the worst part of the track. But there was nothing we could do and I was thrilled she could win doing that.”
The win sees Gregers improve up the market for the Thousand Guineas on October 16, only second in betting behind Saturday's Tea Rose Stakes winner Guelph.
“Guelph is very good,” Hayes said.
“She might be better in Sydney I hope.
“This filly [Gregers] is going to be pretty hard to beat in anything she runs in. When things go her way I think she can be devastating.”
Saturday's Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) was also Chad Schofield's first success at Group level.
“It was a big thrill,” Schofield said.
“She is a really special filly to me, I really hold her in high regard.
“Today she really impressed me in the way she conducted herself. She was a lot calmer today before the race where other times she has gotten a bit warm.
“She jumped and she just relaxed which I really liked about her going forward.
“The best filly won on the day.”
Schofield's best wins prior to Saturday came at Listed level earlier in 2013 with Green Roller in the Strutt Stakes and Pago Rock in the Sir John Monash Stakes.
Like Gregers, both are trained by David Hayes.
“I am so lucky to be in the position I'm in, riding horses like this so early on in my career and I owe it all to him [Hayes] really,” Schofield said.