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By Brad Gray

Untapped three-year-old Launch Code will be out to build further on his burgeoning reputation when he steps out in the McGrath Estate Agents Handicap (1100m) at Warwick Farm on Saturday.

After winning at the midweeks last time he was sighted, then-trainer James Cummings boasted that the son of Smart Missile had a “touch of freak about him.”

With Cummings now heading up Godolphin, Kris Lees has been tasked with handling the career of the Gooree owned and bred gelding. What hasn’t changed however is his jockey Glyn Schofield.

“Kris Lees has had him now for a few weeks so has got to learn a little bit about the horse. The reports from the stable are that he has pleased him,” Schofield said.

“He has had a freshen up between runs and is a horse with nice promise. He won very well first-up after being gelded.

“I rode Kris’s first winner for Gooree – a horse called Banner Season. I’m obviously keen to keep up that association because we’ve had some good success previously and I’d like to continue that. Gooree have been good supporters of mine.”

Launch Code winning at Warwick Farm

Meanwhile, Schofield will be back aboard Luiza in the opening race have steered the filly to victory on debut at Randwick over 1000m back in October of last year. However, 1200m represents a new challenge for the two-year-old.

“She was a good debut winner and then went down to Melbourne and didn’t quite handle Moonee Valley. She had an extended spell and has come back with two pleasing trials,” Schofield said.

“She showed great natural speed on debut and would have grown up and matured in her break. I haven’t had anything to do with her since I rode her but Chris wouldn’t be putting her in a 1200m race if he wasn’t confident that it was the right race for her.

“Chris doesn’t overtax them as young horses. Once you squeeze all of the juice out of an orange it’s very hard to get it back in. There is generally a lot more to come when they start racing as older horses.”

Luiza winning on debut for Schofield

The Jason Attard-trained Reiby Rampart is another key ride for Schofield at the meeting with the South African-born jockey suggesting that the honest mare is “close to a win and has been knocking on the door for a couple of starts now.”

The daughter of Shaft closed nicely at Randwick last start but sighted the leader, and eventually winner Yuma Desert, too big of a start in the end.

“I’d like to be closer this time. If I had the ride again last start I’d have been a tad closer. I’ll have a chat with Jason to see what he wants to do this time,” Schofield said.

All the fields, form and replays for Warwick Farm on Saturday