Jockey Nick Hall pushing his body to the limit to ride Jameka in Caulfield Cup

JOCKEY Nick Hall is using a mix of diet and spiritualism to ensure he is at his peak to partner race favourite Jameka in Saturday’s $3m Caulfield Cup.

FOR the man in the hot seat, Wednesday represented the halfway mark.

Jockey Nick Hall was halfway through shedding the 2.5kg he needs to ride favourite Jameka in Saturday’s $3 million Caulfield Cup — through a mix of diet and spiritualism — and halfway sorting through Jameka’s 17 rivals.

“I went through the locals this morning and I’m confident we’ve got them covered,’’ Hall said at Caulfield on Wednesday, where he strategically had just one ride.

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He won’t ride before the Caulfield Cup and has just one ride on cup day “to eliminate the risks’’. “I haven’t really looked at the internationals yet, but I’ll do that tomorrow,’’ he said.

Hall appeared a little lean on Wednesday after four days of ­intensive dieting — but his eyes were bright, his confidence high.

He realises the last two days of weight loss, where the focus will shift from lean food to the steam room, will be tough but he said those few hours would bring him closer to his destination weight of 52.5kg.

Nick Hall is focused on snaring his second Caulfield Cup win. Picture: Michael Klein

“So far it’s been pretty easy, but it’s only Wednesday. Ask me Friday, might not get the same answer,’’ Hall said. “It’s going to get tough, but the tougher it gets, the closer I get to the race, so there’s pretty fair motivation there.’’

Hall, who won the 2014 Caulfield Cup on $11 chance Fawkner, has approached this year’s quest with a combination of a focused mind and self-denial.

The “body’’ work began with some cleansing on Sunday and Monday, via green ­juices and vegies, then moved to a high fat, no carbs hit on Monday and Tuesday.

“I’ve also been drinking heaps of water to flush the ­sodium out of my system,’’ Hall said. “My mind is very much ­involved.’’

Hall meditates for up to 45 minutes a night before bed and is also dedicated to yoga.

Nick Hall does yoga to help keep his body in shape. Picture: Michael Klein

“With the meditation I like to concentrate on my breathing; feel the breath through my nose into my lungs,’’ he said.

The key to successful meditation is clearing the mind, something Hall said had been easy with Jameka “because there’s not much to think about’’.

“I’m not too worried. I’ll think about it as I get a bit ­closer, but she’s a monster,’’ he said of TAB’s $3.40 favourite.

“That’s great for me. I like horses that are thick and strong, it gives you confidence in them.

“I’d say I’m at least as confident as I was with Fawkner.’’

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