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By Ray Hickson

Any drop of rain that falls in the lead up to Saturday’s feature Gosford meeting is music to jockey Chad Schofield’s ears as he eyes back-to-back wins on Hezashocka in the Listed $300,000 Guardian Safety Solutions Gosford Gold Cup (2100m).

Jockey Chad Schofield (Pic: Bradley Photos).

A piece of history awaits the seven-year-old if successful, the last horse to win successive Gosford Cups was Dark Diamond back in 1971 and 1972, and Schofield feels he’s going every bit as well as he was a year ago.

On that occasion the race was moved to Newcastle and run over 2200m on heavy ground.

The gelding has been given an identical preparation to 2024 by trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr to arrive at the race fourth up.

“I feel he’s come up as good as ever, I made that comment after he ran second the other day,’’ Schofield said.

“He raced on a firm track and ran really well. He’s a lovely, honest, gutsy stayer. He’s been placed very well and I think he’s ready to run a good race.

“He’s a horse who just thrives in work, I enjoy riding him and hopefully I can get the race again this year.”

Hezashocka, $4.80 with TAB on Thursday, ran seventh in the Ajax Stakes (ninth last year) then seventh in the Neville Sellwood (fifth in 2024) and hit the line strongly into second to Bois D’Argent in the JRA Cup (third a year ago).

He’s winless from 18 starts on good ground so the certainty of at least a soft track plays right into his hands and Schofield doesn’t mind jumping from the inside alley.

“Last year was perfect because he had the big track like Newcastle and it was bottomless which he loves,’’ he said.

“But I loved his performance last start on a firmer track, he hit the line really well and he was strong through the line. Although he’s very good on a wet track he goes well on any surface.

“We’ve been fortunate to have drawn a good barrier. He used to be a horse that didn’t have any gate speed but he’s changed a bit as an older horse, he’s beginning well and he’s wanting to put himself there and race.

“It’s a tight turning track and we’ve got to around two full corners, having to cover less ground is an advantage and I’d rather be there than 14.

“It won’t be rock hard so there’s no worries on that end.”

Schofield is looking forward to reuniting with Raikkonen in the Railway Hotel Handicap (1200m) having partnered the Bjorn Baker galloper to both wins last preparation.

Josh Parr has been in the saddle in the three-year-old’s two lead up trials and Schofield says to his eye he appears to have come back in good order.

“I liked the look of his last trial even though I wasn’t on him and he’s a horse I always felt would measure up to a really good level,’’ he said.

“I got on him last prep and he raced through the grades very quickly.

Hezashocka runs second at Randwick on April 19

“He gave me a tremendous feel, he’s a big scopey horse that’s only going to improve with racing and age.”

It’s important to note, Schofield said, that Raikkonen’s last start failure in the Group 3 Vo Rogue back at the end of last year comes with plenty of excuses.

“At the gates he stumbled badly onto his nose and it just went pear shaped, he was detached and wide and keen and it was a complete forget run,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Gosford meeting