Melbourne Cup 2015: Brett Prebble worked hard for Bondi Beach ride

HONG KONG-based jockey Brett Prebble was contacted by Nick Williams two months ago and told to get his weight down to 52.5kg — he accepted and he’s riding Bondi Beach in the Cup.

Australian Guineas Day at Flemington Racecourse, Race- 7 Australian Guineas 1600m, Brett Prebble onboard Wandjina wins. Melbourne. 7th March 2015. Picture: Colleen Petch.

NICK Williams contacted Brett Prebble two months ago in Hong Kong with a directive to make sure he got his weight down to 52.5kg to ride one of his horses in the Melbourne Cup.

Prebble immediately accepted the offer without even knowing what horse he was going to ride.

As it turned out that horse was Bondi Beach and Prebble managed to get his weight down to the 52.5kg needed today.

“It’s for a Lloyd and Nick Williams horse and that was good enough for me,” Prebble said.

Prebble, who normally weighs in around 56kg embarked on a brutal two-month training regimen where he would ride work, walk for an hour, then box for an hour before having a break for lunch.

Then after lunch Prebble met with his personal trainer who supervised another workout.

Prebble then took a break for dinner and followed that with another hour-long walk.

“It took a month to get the weight down and it’s stayed there since,” he said.

Three years ago Prebble won his first Melbourne Cup riding Green Moon for Team Williams.

He flew into Melbourne yesterday morning at 7am and will stay five days but under his Hong Kong riding contract he can only ride in Group One races this week.

Prebble is having a successful season and is sitting second on the Hong Kong premiership ladder behind Joao Moreira.
He has watched Bondi Beach’s races on video and knows he’s riding “a young stayer with a touch of class”.

“They’re going to take him back to England and set him for the King George Stakes — that’s the quality of horse he is. He’s only got 52.5 kilos and I’m sure he can run 3200m as he switches off and then he finds another gear,” he said.

“I spoke to Aidan O’Brien this morning and he’s very confident. He said the horse was very fit and he was really happy with his preparation.”

Originally published as Melbourne Cup 2015: Brett Prebble worked hard for Bondi Beach ride