Brett Prebble returns Green Moon to scale after winning the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Aaron Francis Source: The Australian
BRETT Prebble credits fellow jockey Craig Williams with helping him win yesterday's Melbourne Cup.
Hong Kong-based Prebble said he had learned a lot from Williams's losing ride in the Cox Plate on Green Moon.
Watching from afar, Prebble could see that the six-year-old owned by Lloyd Williams was not ridden in a way that capitalises on his brilliance late in the race.
"Without being too critical of Craig, I thought he rode him too hard in the Cox Plate," Prebble said.
The former leading Melbourne apprentice was the toast of his home town last night after achieving his dream of winning the Melbourne Cup.
Now 35 and based in Hong Kong since 2002, Prebble rode an outstanding race in a slowly run affair to win the Cup for his long-time supporter Williams.
"That's for you, boss. Thank you for your support, I can't thank you enough," Prebble said of Williams minutes after crossing the line. "It's been my life's dream to do it."
Prebble did not have it all his own way with the six-year-old, who overcame a few early scares to enjoy a great run in seventh place on the rails before following stablemate Mourayan through and hitting the lead inside the final 300m.
The $20 chance had a length to spare at the end of the 3200m from Fiorente ($31), with Jakkalberry ($81) third, and continued the poor run of favourites in recent years. The most recent favourite to be successful was Makybe Diva in the third of her wins in 2005.
"I got a severe check 250m after the start that put me on the fence," Prebble said. "He threw his head up in the air under a bit of pressure. He was on and off the bridle and all I wanted to do was get him to rest and go to sleep. I was very happy with my position after 400m."
Prebble said Green Moon would not be out of place racing overseas.
"You could take him around the world, this horse," he said. "He's a serious, serious galloper.
"I've watched him several times on the replays and he's got an awesome turn of foot. I knew what I had underneath me, I just needed to conserve his energy."
Prebble revealed that last year he could have ridden either Dunaden or Red Cadeaux, the first and second placegetters in the closest Cup finish.
"Every year I leave it (my Cup ride) open, I wait pretty much to the death," he said. "I'm very good friends with Lloyd and he had a few irons in the fire last year with some good horses, but I opted to wait and stick it out. First or second I could have rode, I knocked back Dunaden and then Red Cadeaux, so it cost me.
"That's the way it goes, sometimes you pull the right rein, sometimes you pull the wrong one. Today was the right one."
After much deliberation last year, Prebble rode the British-trained Moyenne Corniche, which finished well down the track.
"To come back and win it this year after being a little bit disappointing last year, it's a great feeling," he said.
Prebble served part of his apprenticeship with trainer John Meagher, who prepared the second of Williams's Melbourne Cup winners, What A Nuisance in 1985.
He joked after the Cup that he put his foot to the floor a bit early on Green Moon.
"When I put it to him straightening, my old boss told me to count to 10 (before letting go), Lloyd said, 'Count to 10', but I counted to five," Prebble said.
Prebble has ridden more than 600 winners in Hong Kong, but he became one of the most acknowledged jockeys in the region in the 2009-10 season when he teamed with local sprint sensation Sacred Kingdom to win three Group I events.
Kiwi jockey James McDonald said the Gai Waterhouse-trained runner-up's sprint ended 100m from the finish.
"At the top of the straight, I thought all my Christmases had come at once," he said.
Colm O'Donoghue, who rode Jakkalberry, said he was delighted with the effort in what he considered one of the best Cup fields.
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