Aussie-based jockeys set to ride top hopes in Durban July
Two top Australian-based jockeys will ride in next month’s Group 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, with their strong South African links adding further international flavour to the country’s biggest horse race.
KZN’s reigning champion trainer Gareth van Zyl has confirmed that Australian-based rider Chad Schofield will partner King Pelles in the July, joining fellow Aussie-based jockey Zac Lloyd, who was earlier announced as the rider of the Justin Snaith-trained Happy Verse.
Schofield may hold one advantage over his younger counterpart, having previously ridden in the Durban July. He partnered The Conglomerate in the 2015 renewal and found himself trapped behind a wall of horses when attempting to make his run down the outside.
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Both jockeys boast deep South African roots. Chad is the son of former top Durban jockey Glyn Schofield, while Zac is the son of legendary rider Jeff Lloyd. The pair are also cousins through the Roberts family, with both Glyn and Jeff marrying daughters of former trainer Aubrey Roberts.
Glyn Schofield rose to prominence after returning to South Africa from overseas in the early 2000s, establishing himself as one of the country’s most sought-after jockeys thanks to his exceptional judgement of pace and soft hands in the saddle. Like Jeff Lloyd, he later enjoyed a highly successful career in Australia, riding 18 Group 1 winners.
Chad made his own mark on Australian racing when he famously won the 2013 Cox Plate aboard maiden galloper Shamus Award. He later spent seven years riding in Hong Kong, where he amassed 208 winners before returning to Australia, where he has added a further nine Group 1 victories to his record.
Van Zyl turned to Schofield after Gavin Lerena opted to ride Minoque in the Durban July, leaving King Pelles without a jockey and opening the door for another international rider to take his place in the field.
