Chad Schofield excited by promising Victorian colt Rue De Royale in $2m Inglis Millennium

Chad Schofield combined with Victorian trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy to win the 2022 Inglis Millennium and reunites with the father-son duo at Rosehill on Saturday.

Chad Schofield and chasing a third consecutive win in the $2m Inglis Millennium when he rides Rue Du Royale at Rosehill on Saturday. Picture: Bradley Photos

Star jockey Chad Schofield is chasing a hat-trick of wins in the $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) when he partners promising Rue De Royale at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Schofield has made the rich two-year-old race his own recently with successive wins on Xtravagant Star (2022) and Learning To Fly (2023).

Rue De Royale has Schofield combining with the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable again after their triumph with Xtravagant Star two years ago.

“I’ve had a bit of luck in this race and I believe I’m on another very good chance in Rue De Royale,” Schofield said.

The talented Shangri La Express takes out the @inglis_sales Golden Gift. ✨@[e-mail]/OHIgsNosof

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 11, 2023

Rue De Royale is going first-up into the Inglis Millennium but the colt is held in high regard after a two-start spring campaign where he ran fourth at Moonee Valley before a very good second behind boom two-year-old Shangri La Express in the Golden Gift.

Schofield rode Rue De Royale in the Golden Gift and said the colt’s effort to come from near last on the turn and finish just over a length behind Shangri La Express was full of merit.

“In the Golden Gift, he drew an inside barrier and was a touch slow away, he didn’t step the best, there was a lot of pressure early and he got squeezed out a bit,” Schofield said.

“But he certainly hit the line really well when ridden with a sit. He gave me a terrific feel that last furlong (200m).”

In early TAB betting for the Inglis Millennium, Rue De Royale is on the third line of betting at $7.50 behind only $3.20 favourite Fully Lit and Odinson $4.80.

Schofield said the barrier draw for Saturday’s race which has Rue De Royale in gate 10 will suit his colt.

“I think it is a perfect barrier,” the jockey said.

“With the draw, considering where the pace in the race is and this horse’s pattern, it sets up quite nicely for us.

Rue Du Royale is first-up since his Golden Gift placing when he steps out in the Inglis Millennium at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Bradley Photos

“Tony and Calvin gave the horse a bit of time after the Golden Gift and from all reports the colt is doing really well.”

Schofield has also been booked to ride Godolphin’s Turbinado in the other feature two-year-old race at the Randwick meeting, the Listed $200,000 Darley Lonhro Plate (1000m).

Turbinado, trained by James Cummings, is a superbly bred filly by champion racehorse and sire Lonhro out of the stakes-winning Commands mare Demerara.

She looked very sharp winning a recent Hawkesbury barrier trial and has drawn nicely in gate three for her debut.

Schofield’s other Randwick rides are the David Payne-trained Mahagoni in the Midway Handicap (1600m), and Cameron Crockett’s Divine Sinner in the TAB Highway (1200m).

At Canterbury’s Friday night meeting, Schofield has five rides including the emerging Il Tevere (race 1) and Shalailed (race 8).

Schofield will also get the opportunity to put comeback filly Learning To Fly through her paces between races at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The Annabel Neasham-trained Learning To Fly, who hasn’t raced since being injured in the Golden Slipper won by Shinzo last year, is scheduled to have an exhibition gallop between races with stablemate Libertad after the Lonhro Plate.

High-class filly Learning To Fly will work between races at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Grant Guy

Schofield rode the Coolmore-owned Learning To Fly to win her first three starts last season including the Widden Stakes and Reisling Stakes and was dislodged from the saddle when the brilliant filly struck trouble in the Golden Slipper.

Learning To Fly’s racing future was in doubt for sometime but Neasham has been patient with the filly and has nursed her back to full health and fitness with three barrier trials over summer.

Schofield has been on Learning To Fly in successive trial wins at Warwick Farm in recent weeks and has been very impressed by the highly-rated filly.

“Learning To Fly is going super,” Schofield said. “She is ready to race next week in the Light Fingers Stakes (Group 2, Randwick).

“It’s nice to have her back. She has been feeling really well in the mornings at trackwork and I’m looking forward to riding her on raceday.”

Trainer Chris Waller is also taking advantage of the Randwick course proper on Saturday and has three of his main autumn carnival hopefuls, Fangirl, Militarize and Buckaroo galloping separately after race three.

Fangirl, Militarize and Buckaroo are all expected to resume racing in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at the Randwick meeting on February 17.

Originally published as Chad Schofield excited by promising Victorian colt Rue De Royale in $2m Inglis Millennium