STEVE SCHOFIELD – EARNED THE RESPECT OF ALL IN RACING

THE Men’s Shed at Wyong is likely to see more of STEVE SCHOFIELD.

Truly one of racing’s indomitable characters who always went about his business without fuss, he has called it a day after more than five decades in the industry, successfully as a jockey firstly and then a trainer.

Wyong Race Club, which has been Schofield’s second home for nearly two decades, acknowledged his lengthy contribution by naming a race after him at its meeting yesterday.

Schofield rode more than 1000 winners and overcame two horrific falls before turning his hand to training, beginning at Canterbury then moving to Royal Randwick when the former closed as a training venue, and finally settling at Wyong.

“It’s become too hard,” Schofield said matter of factly today, summing up his decision to pull up stumps.

“The costs beat me. It was costing me $300 a week for every horse before anything else.

“I’ll be 68 in a few months, and I couldn’t educate young horses any more and run the risk of hurting myself.

“When you get older, injuries take a lot longer to heal.”

Born in England, Schofield emigrated to Australia with his parents when he was seven years of age.

He recalls he became a jockey because he was so small and “couldn’t do anything else”.

Schofield spent some time with trainers Bill Williams and John Poletti, and secured an apprenticeship with Jack Denham’s highly successful Rosehill Gardens stable when he finished school.

He was twice runner-up to “Miracle” Mal Johnston in the Sydney apprentices’ premiership and won successive Group 1 Doomben Thousands (1990-91) in Brisbane on the Warwick Hailes-trained Prince Trialia during his time freelancing in Queensland.

But it didn’t take him more than a moment to name Rendoo, trained by Graham Loader, as the best horse he rode.

Schofield developed a great association with Rendoo, winning a total of six Group and Listed races on the classy sprinter, and even followed him to America for what unfortunately proved to be a fruitless campaign.

He rode him a few times at Santa Anita, but Rendoo suffered a bleeding attack on the third occasion.

Rendoo didn’t win in the States and never recaptured his earlier form back in Australia. For all that, he won 11 races and was placed 14 times and earned well over $400,000 when he was retired in the early 1990s.

A pretty tidy effort considering prizemoney then was worlds away from what it is today.

Ironically, the track where Schofield has prepared his small team for close to the last 20 years was the scene of a bad fall in the 1970s.

His mount Hail Tornado was travelling up on the pace when suddenly he hit the deck.

Schofield spent three weeks in a coma and was sidelined for 12 months, then not long after returning to the saddle broke a leg in another fall at Canterbury, and spent a further nine months out of action.

Turning to training, his first runner was at Kembla Grange in May 2004, and that track was also the scene of his first winner Cool Phantom six months later.

Ridden by Jason Lee, he bolted home at double figure odds.

Not surprisingly, Cool Phantom and the mare Yiannina quickly come to mind when Schofield discusses his career putting a saddle on a horse rather than sitting on it.

Cool Phantom (ridden by the now Hong Kong-based former Sydney trainer Mark Newnham) scored on the Kensington track in July 2005, and Schofield backed him each-way at $101.

Yiannina (Larry Cassidy) won on the Randwick course proper in August the following year.

It was her sole victory from 46 attempts, but Schofield will never forget the day.

“They bet $81,” he said. “I was involved in the ownership of both Cool Phantom and Yiannina, and they helped set me up.”

Schofield’s talent with a horse was never more evident than Mosht Up, who came to him from the Northern Rivers.

He was the mare’s fourth trainer, and she was close to being sacked when she came to him virtually as a last resort.

Schofield won seven races with her, including three in town.

Mosht Up’s Warwick Farm triumph in a midweek Benchmark 72 Handicap (1200m) on a heavy track against her own sex on May 11, 2022 was his last city winner.

Fittingly, his last runner was at Wyong. Elusive Mission ran fifth in a 1630m Maiden Plate on October 31 last year.

“Elusive Mission has gone to Mitch and Desiree Kearney at Hawkesbury, and I had another young horse out of a mare I trained (Queen Snip) which is now with Rod Bailey here at Wyong,” Schofield said.

“I’m content with my decision to retire. I own my house, and don’t have to worry about a mortgage.

“I’ll still go to the races at Wyong, and keep myself busy at the Men’s Shed not far from the track.

“I’ve been going a couple of times a week, and enjoy helping out.

“I’m learning something new with the guys there.”

And no doubt earning the same great respect as he did in his his 50-odd years in racing!

Story John Curtis, March 20, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos