Learning To Fly hitting the heights expected by Schofield

There has always been something about Golden Slipper favourite Learning To Fly that made her stand out from the pack for jockey Chad Schofield from his the first time he rode her.

What Schofield felt that first morning on the Justify filly last year has played out on the track in her two wins in the Widden Stakes and Inglis Millenium.

“We ride so many horses in races and trackwork every week that they tend to all roll into one, but she was a stand-out the first time I got on her,” Schofield said.

“I just knew she was good, so she has never surprised me on raceday.

“She just had a presence, and the ability was obvious. I just made sure I was going to stick with her wherever she went.”

While Learning To Fly has started top pick in both her wins, the expectation has grown to the point that she is a $1.65 to take care of her five rivals in Saturday’s Reisling Stakes.

She appears to have the versatility to match her ability. She sat outside the lead in the Widden before kicking and holding off the challengers on debut, and she went back and swooped down the centre to win the Millenium.

Schofield’s belief in Learning To Fly is clear the more he talks about the next step along the Golden Slipper path.

“There is no pressure with her. She is adaptable and I can just ride her as is required, and she will get the job done,” Schofield said. “She is just exciting.

“We still have to find out how good she is. That will come in the next couple of weeks.

“When you see those [Coolmore] colours you think of champion horses, and hopefully she will be another for them.”

It is the most significant day of Golden Slipper lead-ups: the Reisling and Todman Stakes are the staging point for nine out of the last 11 Golden Slipper winners.

The Todman brings towards classy colts Red Resistance, Cylinder and Cafe Millenium in another small but elite field.

Godolphin trainer James Cummings believes experience is on Silver Slipper winner Cylinder’s side on Saturday.

“There’s no hiding from the top ones now,” Cummings said.

“One thing I like about Cylinder is he’s one of two horses in the race in his second campaign. I think that counts for something with the babies at this time of year.”

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