Melbourne Cup jockey Brett Prebble left bloodied after incident at Ross Lyon’s birthday party

Champion jockey Brett Prebble has been left bloodied after a scuffle broke out at ex-AFL coach Ross Lyon’s birthday party. Here’s what happened.

James McDonald celebrates winning the Paramount+ Mackinnon Stakes aboard Zaaki (GB) with runner up Brett Prebble at Flemington Racecourse on November 06, 2021 in Flemington, Australia. (Scott Barbour/Racing Photos via Getty Images)

Incentivise jockey Brett Prebble was reportedly left bloodied after a scuffle which marred ex-AFL coach Ross Lyon’s birthday celebrations on Monday.

Reports suggest Prebble was left with blood on his shirt after cutting himself in a fight which took place during the birthday bash at Port Melbourne restaurant Rubira’s.

Lyon was not involved in the incident, which took place between Prebble and another man.

A Victoria Police spokesman confirmed officers were not called to respond to the restaurant altercation.

Rubira’s owner Paul Taberner told the Herald Sun the men were just “mucking around” and there was “no malice involved.”

“Nothing really happened. It was just a couple of mates mucking around and one slipped and cut himself,” Mr Taberner said.

“It’s been blown out of proportion. It was all good – no one was rolling around on the floor and throwing chairs.”

Mr Taberner said the play fight occurred in the bar area of the restaurant.

James McDonald celebrates winning the Paramount+ Mackinnon Stakes aboard Zaaki with runner-up Brett Prebble.

He believed Mr Prebble cut his head when he slipped over and hit a table.

“They were just friends having a bit of fun after lunch. There was no malice involved,” Mr Taberner said.

A witness who was at the restaurant said: “Prebble got into a fight with a mate of his and it did certainly get a bit heated, Prebble has fallen over and hit his head.

“There was really nothing too much in it apart from a couple of blokes getting too enthusiastic and unfortunately it got out of order, there was a fair bit of blood though.”

Reportedly present at the party were others including well known racehorse owner Nick Williams, former AFL player Michael Gardiner and TV star Scott Cam. Other witnesses claimed 2012 Melbourne Cup winner Prebble was left with blood on his shirt after he was cut during the dispute, however Lyon and the others were not involved.

Prebble has been one of the jockeys of the spring and rode red-hot Melbourne Cup favourite Incentivise to second behind Verry Elleegant.

He rode the Peter Moody-trained star to victory in the Caulfield Cup.

Lyon was linked with the Carlton job in recent months, but withdrew from the race after being asked to interview for the role.

The ex-Fremantle and St Kilda coach was also touted for a role as an assistant with Geelong.

COVID CLUSTER LINKED TO CUP

It’s been an eventful week in the world of racing with a number of guests from a Melbourne Cup victory party at the centre of a Covid outbreak.

Many may have been unknowingly in the community while infectious because of contact tracing delays.

Ozzie Kheir, owner of the Melbourne Cup winning horse Verry Elleegant, tested positive to Covid-19 on Friday, with at least two other linked cases confirmed on Monday.

Old school friends of co-owner Brae Sokolski are also understood to now be infected, as well as family members and close friends of other guests.

News Corp Australia understands Prebble, who rode runner-up Incentivise in the Melbourne Cup which is also part-owned by Kheir and Sokolski, also attended the soiree at Society restaurant on Cup night.

Brett Prebble was left hurt after attending Ross Lyon’s birthday party.

In a message from the Department of Health on Tuesday, November 9, seen by the Herald Sun, attendees were told they may have been exposed to the virus on Tuesday, November 2.

“You must isolate immediately and seek testing as soon as possible,” the message read.

“If you are tested for Covid-19 and receive a negative result, you must continue your isolation until the end of the quarantine period.”

But current isolation protocols only require that fully vaccinated close contacts spend seven days in quarantine from the date of exposure.

A lengthy delay in contact tracing — which resulted in guests being officially told that they had become a close contact at about 11.30am on Tuesday — has meant most had likely failed to complete their full seven-day isolation stint.

It means that potentially infectious guests had been unknowingly moving out in the community over the past week.