“Keep yourself in the best company and your horse in the worst.”
Naracoorte trainer Greg Scholefield lives by those wise words, which his uncle – trots man Harold Moody – passed on to him.
The philosophy is working.
Scholefield presented two horses to race at Mildura on Thursday night, unbeaten two-year-old Emain Macha and consistent three-year-old Livingston Bay. Both won.
EMAIN MACHA WINS HIS THIRD RACE AT START NO.3
The two-year-old especially is exciting, says Scholefield.
“He’s very promising. He’s been very easy to get going, just such an easy natured horse. A real competitor, too,” he said.
Asked how Emain Macha, a son of Safari, came to be in his stable, Scholefield spoke glowingly of Dennis Wills.
“He sources horses for me and does a great job,” Scholefield said.
“He found Limestone Bay as well. He’s a good fella.
“I’d gotten horses off Heath Redwood before and with Dennis’s help we purchased Emain Macha off Heath and brought him home. From there I haven’t had any problem with the horse.”
So far in season 2015-16 Scholefield has presented 19 starters for seven wins and nine minor placings.
However, a look back through the last decade’s results reveals the South Australian horseman’s success rate is no flash in the pan.
Since season 2004-05 Scholefield’s results are astonishing. He has presented 265 starters at the races for 93 wins (35%), 51 seconds, 34 thirds and 21 fourths. Just 66 times his horses have finished outside the top four in 11 years.
“Can I just grab a biro?” Scholefield said when his statistics were being read out, following up with: “That’s not bad” when told 54% of his runners have finished top-two since 04-05.
At 67, Scholefield, a former full-time builder, is now retired and thus doesn’t mind hitting the road with a horse if it means placing one of his horse’s in a winnable race.
“I don’t mind. I know a lot of good people around the industry and they’re always willing to help me out. I enjoy getting around to different places,” he said.
Although he only trains a small team at any one time Scholefield has a strong list of prolific winners, including Glenferrie Rustler (who he trained to win 19 races), Mighty Maurie (10 wins), Mad House (nine wins) and The Lucky Break (six wins) just to name a few.
“I named him after my dad,” Scholefield said of Mighty Maurie.
In addition to his training record Scholefield has also enjoyed good success as an owner, mentioning Alesco, who he raced with Alan Tubbs, and The Rattler, who won the 1984 Inter Dominion Consolation for trainer Jim Hurley.
WATCH THE RATTLER WIN HIS 1984 INTER DOMINION CONSOLATION
The three-year-old son of Major In Art he had success with at Mildura last night, Livingston Bay, will now be spelled and Scholefield is confident “he’ll come back a much better horse”.
And while he’s camping at Mildura for the Carnival the trainer has one more runner, Limestone Bay, who is shooting for a hat-trick tomorrow night in Race 2.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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