Glyn Schofield has watched with pride as his son Chad won a Cox Plate and rode in his first Melbourne Cup during the spring, but he's confident the apprentice will not get the better of him when they ride in the Emirates Stakes.
Glyn partners favourite Boban in the $1 million Group One Emirates (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday while his son rides the Anthony Cummings-trained Strike The Stars.
Schofield says there is "no greater thrill" than seeing apprentice Chad succeed but is confident he's on the right horse to end the spring carnival with a second Group One win on the Chris Waller-trained Boban.
"Chad has had his big win and hopefully I can finish it off," Glyn said.
Schofield is unbeaten in four rides on Boban including the Epsom Handicap in Sydney.
Boban has 57kg in the Emirates, 4kg more than the Epsom, but Schofield has taken confidence out of the way the horse has continued to raise his level of performance.
The gelding has firmed from $4.60 to $3.40 with TAB fixed odds.
He won with 59.5kg in lesser grade at Caulfield last start in the Moonga Stakes (1400m), overcoming interference approaching the home turn which had him last on straightening.
"He's got an amazing swiftness about him," Schofield said.
"He can turn the speed on without much effort at all. And for me the surprising thing was not how he got back into the race so quickly at Caulfield but how he did it with 59-1/2 kilos.
"He sprinted so quickly with that big weight and it was as if he was back carrying 53 kilos in the Epsom."
Schofield conceded it was a step up again for Boban and pinpointed the Gai Waterhouse-trained Spurtonic as a horse who would meet him 4.5kg better than his close fourth in the Epsom.
"He's got a lot of weight to give that horse but I wouldn't be wanting to swap mine for anything," he said.
Waller also has Doncaster winner Sacred Falls in the Emirates and expects both to run well as he chases his third Group One win of Melbourne Cup week.
Waller insists the weight is his only concern with Boban.
"He has come from a restricted race in Sydney to winning an Epsom on the minimum to now running in the Emirates with the second topweight, which is a big step," Waller said.
"He's a very good horse but these are still steps that some people take for granted, but I don't."
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