Jockey Chad Schofield will have his first ride in Melbourne in three months at Flemington on Saturday.
Schofield hasn’t ridden in the metropolitan area since winning aboard Red Bomber at Caulfield on April 18 with his last Australian ride being at Doomben on May 9.
He has since travelled to the United Kingdom, basing himself at Newmarket, where he mixed trackwork and race riding for a variety of stables.
The young rider also made a quick trip to his native South Africa for the Durban July meeting at Greyville, the first time he had ridden in the country.
Schofield said the highlight of his trip abroad was riding Criterion at Royal Ascot.
“Being able to ride Criterion over there was super but from the time I got there I just loved every minute of it,” Schofield told Melbourne radio station RSN.
“From the mornings, to the races, it’s just so different and I learned a lot.
“Riding out every morning, I learnt a lot more about the horse.”
Schofield returned to Melbourne earlier in the week to prepare for his upcoming Hong Kong licence which he takes up in September.
He will depart next month to set-up in Hong Kong, a place he is familiar with after his father Glyn rode with success there before arriving in Australia.
Schofield has rides in four of the nine races at Flemington on Saturday.
Pago Rock, a $9 chance in the Bruce Gadsden Handicap (1400m), is rated his best mount in early markets.
“The draw is ideal,” Schofield said.
“While he’s probably better at 1200 metres I’ve ridden him over seven furlongs before in some of those early spring races and he’s certainly been up to it.
“Hopefully he can run well.”