Melbourne Cup 2016: Winning our most famous horse race is Hall or nothing for star jockey

RESTRICTIVE diets, juice cleanses, yin yoga, infra-red saunas, 3am alarms and icy swims in Port Phillip Bay. Just some of the activities making up Melbourne Cup hopeful Nick Hall’s pre-race routine.

Does lightning strike twice? Nick Hall raises his whip in triumph as Jameka takes out the Caulfield Cup. Picture: Getty Images

WINNING a Melbourne Cup often reflects an incredible commitment to the cause and, in some cases, real sacrifice.

Star jockey Nick Hall, who will ride third favourite and Caulfield Cup winner Jameka in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, takes Herald Sun’s Gilbert Gardiner through his intense lead up to the famous race.

Follow Nick’s journey as he leaves no stone unturned in pursuit of realising a Melbourne Cup dream.

THE message lobbed at 3.56 on Thursday morning.

Jockey Nick Hall was fast asleep but the text from Jameka’s trainer Ciaron Maher was just what he needed to bounce out of bed.

It was meant to be a rest day, but at late notice Maher said it was time, time to let Jameka rip away from prying eyes.

“Nick, Galloping at Sandown. This morning around 7-7.30. Let me know if you’re free,” Maher inquired in the pre-dawn text.

The plan was originally for Hall to ride her Friday for the media but Maher opted for a more private session.

Hall sprang out of bed, needing no extra motivation.

“I thoroughly enjoy going out there (track work) to do one extremely nice horse,” Hall said.

“It’s a good way to start the day. If I had to go out there and do six ratbags it would probably be a bad day, but to go out and do her is enjoyable and certainly didn’t faze me to get out of bed.”

What about Jameka’s chances on Tuesday? After that impromptu gallop, Hall is convinced she’s ready.

The dual Caulfield Cup-winning jockey is leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of realising a Melbourne Cup dream.

His strict regimen includes early-morning yoga classes and meditation, time in his personal infra-red sauna and deprivation of any solid food for three days.

Restrictive diet aside, daily exercise is crucial for Hall and his contemporaries. Runs, walks and “hot and colds” at St Kilda Sea Baths make up some of his daily routine.

8 DAYS TO GO

(Monday, October 24)

I’VE got the week off so for the next three days I will only drink juice. No food. You do get hungry, but the juice cleanse isn’t something I do regularly, and usually not when I’m riding, because your weight can go up just through how much fluid you take in. I’ll drink seven bottles a day: they’re great, organic and they support the system completely, so really you’re getting all the nourishment you need.

Took Lilly (two-year-old chihuahua-whippet cross) for a walk around Albert Park Lake this morning and went for a run in the afternoon (two laps of The Tan) before a bit of yin yoga (slow-paced style of yoga with postures that are held for longer) and a little stretch. It’s just all about keeping the weight down and chipping away without actually getting tired — the less energy we spend the better, just keeping the system very happy.

Torture: Nick Hall sweats it out in his infra-red sauna at home. Picture: Colleen Petch

7 DAYS TO GO

(Tuesday, October 25)

THE alarm went off at 3am. I’m used to early starts, but riding the “faster ones” in the spring makes getting up a lot easier.

Track work starts at 4am but I like to get in a stretch and a cup of “Bulletproof coffee” before leaving home. Rode four today — two at Caulfield and two at Sandown — and didn’t end up riding Jameka as she was just doing her “evens” (light work) with her track rider, Lucy.

It was good to ride a couple of the “young ones” in need of the instruction. Was done by 8am and managed to get out of there without getting caught by the cameras! It’s too early to start thinking about Tuesday — it hasn’t even crossed my mind. I don’t look that far ahead. (Trainer) Ciaron’s (Maher) really good too — we’re very much on the same page.

The less pressure around the horse and the race the better for everyone. Present the horse well, ride a positive race, maybe do some form around it but keep it really simple. We kept it really simple in the Caulfield Cup because once those gates open it doesn’t matter how much homework you’ve done.

Saw my chiropractor after track work and sneaked in a meditation class on the way home before taking Lilly around The Tan. Pretty “zonked” after all that, and just sitting on the couch (with the lady) watching The Kardashians, actually.

Recovery: Nick Hall gets out the aches and pains with a dip in Port Phillip Bay. Picture: Colleen Petch

6 DAYS TO GO

(Wednesday, October 26)

YOGA first thing (6am) and caught up with Hughie (Bowman) for a run around The Tan and “hot and colds” at St Kilda Sea Baths. We invited James McDonald but he didn’t want to come running — he must be scared!

We had a bit of a sweat, steam and dip in the bay around noon. Wasn’t great weather but we got in there and got the job done. There wasn’t a whole lot of race talk, we spoke about his weekend and what he got up to, what I got up to and only a little bit about the (Derby Day) fields and barrier draws. Might ride Jameka tomorrow, I don’t know yet. Some trainers apply that pressure but (Ciaron’s) not like that.

He asked me one question the Tuesday before the Caulfield Cup and that was “How’s your weight?” I said “we’re on target” and we didn’t talk (about Jameka) again until I got to the races. I like that relaxed, prepared, but relaxed attitude.

If something’s not successful you ask questions. We’ve had a really successful relationship, so don’t fix what’s not broken. It suits both our psyches this way, that’s why it works and that’s why it meshes and that’s why it hasn’t changed.

Last day of the cleanse and only one bottle left — a carrot, orange, lemon and cayenne pepper flavour. It’s been good. No issues with it, not hungry and not thirsty, obviously.

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5 DAYS TO GO

(Thursday, October 27)

THE text came through at 3.56am. I wasn’t awake but it was Ciaron asking if I could ride Jameka this morning. It wouldn’t have mattered if I couldn’t get to Sandown (on short notice) but I thoroughly enjoy going out there to do one “extremely nice horse”. It’s a good way to start the day.

The plan was to work her on Friday for the media but Ciaron changed his mind, he’s keen for her to relax better. She’s got a lot of character and can be quite highly strung so I think it worked in her favour for sure. She’s really coming into the zone, especially for the 3200m; she’s very relaxed, focused and still willing to do it so it’s that really nice balance.

She’s “definitely” going into this race better than she was going into the Caulfield Cup, and when she was going into the Caulfield Cup, I was really happy with her then and I’m even happier now, so that’s saying something.

It was busy this morning with a press conference at Crown from 10am. It went a little bit over but that’s OK. It was me, Damien Oliver, Craig Williams and Hughie (Bowman) — we just had a bit of fun with it. Got back in time for yoga, lunch (organic chicken) and ended up walking to Prahran Market to get fish, salad (tonight’s dinner) and more juices. Just a couple, not going overboard! They’re just good to take to the races. There’s no fibre in them, they’re absorbed straight away, so that brings you back to life a bit.

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Cleansing: Nick Hall drinks one of the many juices he will have for the week. Picture: Colleen Petch

4 DAYS TO GO

(Friday, October 28)

THE final countdown. I’m ready, now just getting focused and putting on the finishing touches. A visit to the chiropractor before a lunch for First Light Racing. It was really good actually.

The MC was Anthony Hudson and he asked good questions and was funny. It makes a big difference at these sorts of things. Met Hughie and Macca (James McDonald) after lunch and we went to a Japanese sauna — I go to quite a bit for a sweat. There wasn’t much race talk.

Just winding down tonight with the iPad (formguide) and some ocean trout for dinner. It’s not a set thing. I just always stick to high fats and proteins the day before (races) to clear out all the glycogen, that’s what fluids stick to in your muscles, so I can drop plenty of water weight (race day) and then fill that back up throughout the day. Early night.

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Fitness: Nick Hall runs the Tan with his dog Lilly. Picture: Colleen Petch

3 DAYS TO GO

(Saturday, October 29)

IT’S go-time. Wake up at 6am, coffee and a couple of laps of The Tan in the “sweaters” — plastic pants and top worn under several layers to promote heavier sweating. You need to get the body pumping before using the infra-red sauna (40 minutes). It’s not really hot but it’s internal heat. It heats up your insides. It’s a lot easier to stay in there because it does it that way and it’s not actually hot on your skin. Your head’s out of it, too, which is nice.

Getting on the horses is my favourite part of the day. The level of comfort I feel in the saddle is hard to explain. Any pressures I’m under are washed away when my bum hits the saddle.

There’s a real comfort about being on a horse, on the track, away from all the owners, trainers, media and everything that’s been going on in the week leading up the races.

There’s a bit of hype around these big days too. I don’t feed into it much. The hype is there to entertain and engage an audience and I don’t think that needs to include us (jockeys). We’re professionals doing a job and that hype could distract me from my job so I really don’t feed into that. That might be why I don’t really come into too much contact with the media.

A lot of their questions (on form) don’t really matter. I don’t need a piece of paper to tell me which horses to follow at the 600m mark, I can see that and feel it in a race. I don’t mind talking about it after, but leading up to a race I think it can be distracting and unnecessary.

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Conditioning: Hall meditates in his bedroom while listening to music. Picture: Colleen Petch

Originally published as Melbourne Cup 2016: Winning our most famous horse race is Hall or nothing for star jockey