Chad Schofield will be as light as he has been all season on Sunday with the jockey going the extra mile to squeeze the most out of his opportunities.
Schofield, who usually rides between 117 and 118 pounds, will waste to 116 pounds to ride Wonder Express and Team Power and the 26-year-old says he is well on track to reach his target.
“I have tweaked my diet a little bit, I am training pretty hard at the moment as well,” he said. “I normally ride 117 and 118 pounds so I am just going down one pound. I’m fit and I am looking forward to riding them.”
Schofield has ridden at 116 pounds just once this year and twice this season with most of his wins at the weight coming early in his Hong Kong career.
After missing eight meetings to suspension in January, Schofield has enjoyed a golden run of form lately, booting home 22 of his 36 season winners since then.
With two months remaining in the term, Schofield is set to surpass his career-best of 38 winners in a season, which he set in 2017-18.
Six of his wins have come via Jimmy Ting Koon-ho and he will be looking to continue his strong association with the trainer on Sunday in the way of Wonder Express.
The four-year-old steps up in grade in the Class Four Wong Ma Tei Handicap (1,400m) as he looks to string back-to-back wins together for the first time in his short career.
Despite always flashing ability, Wonder Express was not able to put it all together until last month when he emerged to win in Class Five company.
“Finally he put it all together and got a win,” Schofield said. “He is a horse that has always shown a bit of ability, more than Class Five anyway, so hopefully now he has the win under the belt, he has taken confidence from it.”
Even having the race won last start, Schofield said Wonder Express only did what he had to do to win, giving him scope to improve up in class with the feather weight on his back.
“He is very quirky, he is very difficult to manage in the mornings, he wants to hang and do a lot wrong. Even when he won the other day, he had a great trip and I thought he was entitled to put them away better than he did but he hit the front and wanted to run about,” he said.
“Hopefully he gains confidence and we can continue to iron out the things he is doing wrong and keep racing well.
“He is very fit and in good form, let’s hope he can keep his mind on the job and get another win.”
Team Power is another last-start winner for Schofield who is moving up in grades in the Class
Three Sham Chung Handicap (1,400m).
Only lightly raced, the four-year-old has acquitted himself well in Hong Kong and looks a horse on the rise.
Taking on seasoned horses, Team Power will race against the likes of Ka Ying Excellent, Taking Aim and Smoothies.
Schofield will also ride the likes of War Of Courage, Uncle Steve and Triumphant Horse on the day.