South Africans make immediate impression

South African jockeys Jeff Lloyd and Glyn Schofield continued to enhance their already impressive reputations in Sydney on Saturday with a winner apiece. Lloyd has been riding in Sydney since racing resumed from the EI interruption and landed a double at Wyong last week.

Schofield, who fell at the same Wyong meeting, landed a winner at his first ride at Randwick on Saturday. But he went within centimetres of becoming the villain of the day on board the Paul Messara-trained Alverta. The outsider of the field, Alverta appeared to have nosed out the champion sprinter Takeover Target in the Razor Sharp Quality.

But the photo showed the old star had stuck his nose out on the line to hold on to a hard-fought win. Alverta is owned by Arrowfield Stud boss John Messara whose association with Schofield goes back to 2002 when the South African had a riding stint in Brisbane. Takeover Target, meanwhile, is heading toward the Villiers (1400m) at Randwick on January 5 before a possible autumn campaign in Melbourne where the Lightning Stakes will be his main objective.

After that trainer Joe Janiak is planning another world tour with a third Royal Ascot on the cards in June along with a stopover in Singapore on the way over in May.

(Stallions Daily Bulletin)