Chad Schofield will represent Hong Kong at the World All-Star Jockeys competition at Sapporo Racecourse in Japan this weekend (25 and 26 August) with a view to joining three Hong Kong greats on the honour roll.

Douglas Whyte (2004), Zac Purton (2012) and Joao Moreira (2015) have between them won the past 18 champion jockey titles in Hong Kong, with Whyte winning 13 on end before the latter pair advanced to the fore. The talented Schofield’s long-range ambitions – if not his short-term expectations – would be to join that elite bracket, and, with that in mind, he is aiming to make the most of his participation in the four-race, two-day competition.   

“It’s a big honour to represent Hong Kong, I’m pretty chuffed that I’ve been invited and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said, admitting that his call-up was not expected.

“I was surprised, to be honest. It’s a big opportunity for me, I’ve never ridden in Japan and I’m looking forward to what I’m sure will be a good experience for me.”

Almost five years after the then-teenager sealed a major atop Shamus Award in the 2013 Cox Plate, Schofield, now 24, heads into the World All-Star Jockeys with three good seasons in Hong Kong under his belt. Last term, he sealed big-race success thanks to Singapore Sling in the Hong Kong Classic Cup on his way to finishing fifth in the premiership with 38 wins.

“This is now my fourth season in Hong Kong and each season I’ve raised the bar gradually – I feel like I’m still young, still improving and I have a great deal to learn, so no doubt this upcoming experience in Japan will only help me going into the season in Hong Kong,” Schofield said.

The rider will have to forego this Saturday’s Pre-Season Carnival at Sha Tin Racecourse, which will feature the usual raft of informative turf track barrier trials. But he believes that his Sapporo engagement will set him well for the season opener at his home track on 2 September.

“Missing the Pre-season Carnival barrier trials isn’t ideal but I couldn’t really turn down something like this,” he said. “I have an agent acting on my behalf over in Japan so I’m hoping I can pick up one or two rides outside of the competition. And it would be good to come into the Hong Kong season with a bit of form and also have my eye in a little bit.”

The World All-Star Jockeys is a points-based contest with jockeys competing in two designated races on Saturday, 25 August and two more on Sunday, 26 August. The competition’s 14 invited riders compete for the individual crown as well as for the team title. Schofield will be one of six overseas jockeys joining one of Japan’s NAR jockeys against a team of seven JRA jockeys.

Fine jockeyship will only get a rider so far in such events and Schofield knows that he will need a slice or two of luck to go his way before he even sets eyes on his allotted horses.

“You might ballot four horses but whether they’re four good horses is out of my control, so all I can do is go there and do my best on all of them,” he said.

And if he could win the title for Hong Kong?
“It would be great!”