The Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board first dismissed Schofield’s appeal to have the improper riding charge thrown out, then failed in a bid to have the crushing suspension reduced. Schofield emerged stony-faced from the three hour hearing but shook the hand of Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey before engaging in a brief chat with him

Schofield will miss the key Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Guineas meetings, returning on Caulfield Cup day, October 18. He and legal counsel Paul O’Sullivan said they would discuss whether to appeal to VCAT.

Schofield’s penalty stemmed from a race at Mornington on September 17, where stewards found he turned his mount’s head towards the mount of Michelle Payne on his inside and hemmed her in for 200 metres. O’Sullivan unsuccessfully argued that Schofield’s ride aboard Seguaro was merely “competitive’’, an argument supported by former jockey Sam Hyland, who appeared as a witness for Schofield. “He didn’t go bang! And knock her into a box,’’ Hyland said.

Judge Russell Lewis said a previous vow from Schofield to take stock and mend his “wayward ways’’ had not happened. Schofield has been suspended 20 times in the last two years, twice for improper riding.

Lewis said steward’s footage of the Mornington incident – which featured two bumps to Payne’s mount – clearly showed the horse’s heads made contact because of Schofield’s actions. Of that and the bumping, Lewis said Schofield had engaged in “deliberate and intentional conduct’’ and “posed risk and potential danger.’’

Schofield argued that the first bump was “50-50’’ and the second was the fault of Payne, which he did not claim when interviewed by stewards immediately after the Mornington race.

Cliff Pannam, acting for the stewards, accused Schofield of changing his original evidence. Pannam said Schofield’s actions “cannot be allowed to happen in races in this state – it creates danger.’’

Payne was supportive of Schofield in the steward’s inquiry at Mornington, saying it was competitive riding, and Pannam said at the appeal hearing that Payne was merely protecting Schofield. “It’s not uncommon,’’ he said.

–       Heraldsun.com.au

Dixon won the inaugural running of the event in 2007 with the Muhtafal gelding Umngazi, but unfortunately for him and owner Bruce Lin the total prize money back then was a relatively paltry R500000, despite their charge having beaten the like of Imbongi, who went on to become a dual Guineas victor and winner of Group races in both the UK and Dubai.

Oi Yoi Yoi, who is also owned by Lin, impressed jockey Brandon Lerena when stepped up to the 1400m trip of the Ready To Run Cup last time out in a Maiden on the Greyville polytrack on September 29. She came from last with a powerful run, despite the race having been run at a slow pace, and scooted clear in commanding fashion to win by 2,5 lengths.

That was only her fourth career start and it will now be up to the panellists to decide whether she is good enough to make the final Ready To Run field. She was only in 28th place on the latest log, but a few of those above her are yet to prove they stay the 1400m trip.

Whether she makes the race or not, she is one to follow this season as the yard rate her and Dixon confirmed yesterday that she was improving all the time.

The four-year-old, winner of last season’s Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas and Woolavington, went into quarantine last Friday and will spend the mandatory 90 days in Mauritius before being flown to Britain.

Snaith said yesterday: “She will have the winter in the UK and then we will race her there next season with me as the trainer. It’s very exciting.”

The champion trainer confirmed that others in his string will follow and in the meantime he is to open a satellite yard in Johannesburg next May to enable him to plunder the big prizes at Turffontein.

He explained: “They won’t allow us to have any more stables in Port Elizabeth so I have to look elsewhere. It’s getting harder in PE every month but at this stage I plan to keep the operation there. I will have 26 boxes in Jo’burg.”

Legislate is bound for export rather than Johannesburg, after running in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the J & B Met, but he is still on the easy list after his rough passage when winning the Vodacom Durban July.

Snaith said: “We are taking our time with him and he is not yet back working. People don’t realise just how hard a race he had in the July. His legs were very sore afterwards with all the bumping and interference he suffered. There are no plans yet but he will probably start off in something like the Jet Master Stakes at Kenilworth on 20 December.”

The Dennis Drier-trained Western Winter gelding Knox was very green on debut last month, but showed yesterday that his R600,000 price tag might prove worthwhile when staying on strongly from the front under Marcus in the first over 1200m to win by seven lengths at odds of 6/1.

In the second 1200m the Gavin van Zyl-trained R650,000 Silvano gelding Night Shadow also stepped up markedly from his debut and won fluently under Keagan de Melo despite odds of 16-1.
In the third the Robbie Hill-trained Miesque’s Approval filly Bluebaygirl looked to have the best form, but was very widely wide drawn and started at 7/1. She produced a flying finish from near the back under 2,5kg claimer Claassen to nab the favourite Flying Luxmi on the line.

In the fourth the old theory that three-year-olds should be avoided in handicaps at the beginning of the season proved correct as the favourite Step To Fame found little from a handy position and finished unplaced. Drier landed a double and his charge Eternal Jet proved again that Jet Masters enjoy the polytrack by  winning comfortably under Sean Cormack at odds of 33/10.
In the fifth the Kumaran Naidoo-trained seven-year-old Kahal gelding Storm Surf made it two wins over the Greyville polytrack 1400m in successive weekends, not surprisingly as he was still off a merit rating 38 points lower than his sand rating. He drew clear from a handy position to win easily under Delpech.

Delpech then scored in a fillies and mares Novice over 1400m on the impressive Mike de Kock-trained Dynasty filly Maria Theresa, who burst through late to land healthy 4/1 odds.

The next two races disproved the theory about young three-year-olds in handicaps. First the Duncan Howells-trained Lateral colt Gameloft won over 1400m under Callan Murray at odds of 9/1 and in the process proved the worth of the Cat In Command polytrack formline.
Then Frank Robinson’s good run continued through Leven Point, a Fort Wood colt who was always going to be suited by the strong pace in the 1800m race, and converted 5/2 favouritism after finishing strongly under Ian Sturgeon.

Anton Marcus showed his mastery in the ninth, a MR 86 Handicap over 1800m with only six runners. He initially held up the Alec Laird-trained Strongheld gelding Patriotic Rebel but then took it up and stretched them coming up the hill, before staying on strongly to win by 3,75 lengths at odds of 28/10.
The formless Des Egdes-trained Bez Art got into the last over 1800m as a reserve and despite odds of 75/1 and running wide most the way, he displayed a nice stride to give Claassen a double.

Picture: Nkosi Hlophe

She was backed from 4-1 to 16-10 favourite, raced in the first two throughout and drew away from over a furlong out to win easing up and complete a Glen Kotzen-Greg Cheyne treble. Cheyne said: “When I asked her to quicken it was instantaneous. She could be anything but she gives you a classic feel.”

Kotzen , who had complained to Matthew Lips about her 88 rating, added: “The handicapper is probably laughing at me now! She has done hardly any work but she is a super filly and we hope to have her for the good races this season. She looks like a sprinter but we think she will be at least a miler and we are going to look at the Diana Stakes next.”

De Kock, who beat Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate in last year’s Selangor, is on the way back after fracturing his near-fore knee in the Grand Parade Cape Guineas and has been entered for an allowance plate at Kenilworth on Saturday. Brett Crawford said: “He is doing very well but I want to find something a bit nearer the Kuda Insurance Matchem on 4 October. I will see what there is but if the worst comes to the worst we will run on Saturday and treat it as a gallop.”

Blarney Bay definitely sidesteps the race with Mike Robinson explaining: “He has too much weight and he will run instead in a mile handicap at Durbanville on 10 September as he is drawn three. If the ground is a bit firmer by then it will help him to see out the trip but I’m still upset that last Wednesday’s race had to be cancelled because that was his best chance of winning.”

Heartland, Jackson’s full brother who was so impressive on last month’s debut, is one of seven  Justin Snaith entries for the Sophomore Sprint but he will wait for the six week Durbanville stint to end before running again. Snaith said: “We have had too much rain and at the moment the ground is too soft. I will use the interim to school him round the turn.”

Picture: Liesl King