Brett Prebble back for more Melbourne Spring Carnival riches

International jockey Brett Prebble is eyeing off more Melbourne Spring Carnival riches and is hoping for a repeat of last year when he took out the major prize of the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Green Moon.

Sea Moon

Sea Moon with Brett Prebble preparing to gallop at Flemington. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Prebble has already had a feel of last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon and recently acquired Robert Hickmott’s European import Sea Moon in an exhibition gallop in between races at Flemington last Saturday and was impressed with what he saw.

“You’d have to travel the world to find a horse of his quality. He’s the best-credentialled import to be trained out of Melbourne,” Prebble told the Herald Sun referring to the Lloyd Williams owned import.

“His form over the past two years is better than any other horse that has come here. He’s a pretty exciting horse.”

Prebble has stamped himself on the world stage riding in Hong Kong since 2002 and was runner-up in the jockey premiership on five occasions, failing by only one win in 2009, when he rode ninety-nine winners, to take the crown away from Hong Kong champion rider Douglas Whyte.

Prebble is looking forward to spending the Spring in Melbourne and even though he has returned on several occasions in the past admits that the Melbourne racing scene has changed since his champion apprentice days.

“It’s a different place to when I left. There are new jockeys and trainers everywhere,” Prebble said.

Prebble kicks off his Spring with three rides at Caulfield tomorrow and could get an early Carnival win the David Hayes trained Fast ‘N’ Rocking in the Group 3 $135,000 Legacy 90th Anniversary Vain Stakes (1100m).

Fast ‘N’ Rocking is having his first start since running fifth to Guelph in the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon 150th Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on April 27.

The Vain Stakes has been labelled a clash between the Peter Snowden trained Safeguard and Peter Moody’s Il Cavallo, but Hayes’ Fastnet Rock colt had shown enough in the Autumn to be competitive during the Spring.

Prebble is also aboard Exceptionally in the $80,000 Winslow Constructors Handicap (2000m) and Swing Vote for Gai Waterhouse in the Group 3 $135,000 Lister Quezette Stakes (1100m).

Green Moon, who is also one of Williams import success stories, and Sea Moon have both been nominated for the Group 1 $2.65m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 19 and the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26.

The two Moons will no doubt head Williams’ team of Melbourne Cup entries when nominations close on the third of September.

Sea Moon and Melbourne  Cup winner Green Moon are both rated $26 chances for the Caulfield Cup which sees Australian Oaks winner Royal Descent and David Hayes’ import Jet Away share early favourtism at $10.

While Sea Moon holds a more prominent spot in Cox Plate betting at $15 with Green Moon rated a $21 chance.

And in early Melbourne Cup markets Sea Moon is on the third line of betting at $13 with Green Moon rated a $31 chance to win back to back Cups.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.