A statistical look at the career of Brett Prebble, who has announced his retirement.
Brett Prebble on Tuesday announced he had drawn the curtain on his decorated riding career, which took in immense success in a couple of continents.
Over more than 30 years, Prebble rode more than 2000 winners, the first of which came at Edenhope in western Victoria in 1993 with his final winner coming at Rosehill last November.
Below is a statistical look at a career that featured victory in a Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Golden Slipper but will go down as one of the most successful international careers by an Australian rider.
Best horse (by Racing & Sports rating)
Sacred Kingdom is the horse many most readily-associate with Prebble, even though he did not ride him for the entirety of his career. The Aussie-bred gelding had a peak rating of 133, but his best when Prebble was aboard came when he edged out local star Rocket Man in the KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore, which he won in 130.
Sacred Kingdom nudges out 2021 Caulfield Cup winner Incentivise, who had Prebble back on the big stage in the twilight of his career and ran 129 when winning the 2021 Caulfield Cup.
130 – Sacred Kingdom
129 – Incentivise
126 – Absolute Champion
125 – Cape Of Good Hope, Lucky Nine
124 – Bullish Luck, Green Moon, Lucky Bubbles, Miss Pennymoney
123 – Contentment, Sight Winner, Thumbs Up
Most wins (horses)
Prebble finished his career with three wins in the KrisFlyer Sprint and the horse who provided him with his other two contributed more heavily to his career wins tally than any other horse. Prebble won 10 races on the son of Lucky Nine, including a Group 1 Hong Kong International Sprint.
10 – Lucky Nine
7 – Black Bean, Sacred Kingdom, Savrocca, Star Binder, Victory Mascot
6 – Hawkes Bay, Lucky Bubbles, Noble Conqueror
Most wins (trainers)
Prebble’s association with David Hall started in Australia – he was aboard when Makybe Diva, then trained by Hall, won her first city race – and carried over to Hong Kong, where they were a formidable force, finishing with 285 wins together, more than double the next most.
285 – David Hall
125 – John Meagher
123 – Caspar Fownes
62 – Manfred Man
56 – Mathew Ellerton
50 – Dennis Yip
Most wins (tracks)
Given he spent 15 years in Hong Kong, where they only race at two venues, it will not surprise that Sha Tin and Happy Valley dominantly top this list.
Flemington was his happiest hunting ground in Australia while, provincially, Bendigo edged out his hometown of Ballarat as his most successful venue.
433 – Sha Tin
303 – Happy Valley
205 – Flemington
164 – Sandown
131 – Caulfield
82 – Bendigo
75 – Ballarat
67 – Sha Tin All-Weather
66 – Geelong
Group 1 wins (37)
Three
HK Champions Mile: Bullish Luck (2006), Sight Winner (2009), Contentment (2017)
HK Sprint: Absolute Champion (2006), Sacred Kingdom (2009), Lucky Nine (2011)
KrisFlyer Sprint: Sacred Kingdom (2009), Lucky Nine (2013/14)
Two
William Reid Stakes: Miss Pennymoney (2000), Cape Of Good Hope (2005)
One
Melbourne Cup: Green Moon (2012)
Caulfield Cup: Incentivise (2021)
Golden Slipper: Crystal Lily (2010)
Australian Guineas: Wandjina (2015)
BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes: Lovely Jubly (2002)
Cantala Stakes: Titanic Jack (2003)
Chairman’s Sprint Prize: Sacred Kingdom (2010)
JJ Atkins: Lovely Jubly (2002)
Makybe Diva Stakes: Incentivise (2021)
Memsie Stakes: Behemoth (2021)
Oakleigh Plate: Miss Kournikova (2001)
Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup: Contentment (2016)
Queensland Derby: De Gaulle Lane (2001)
Railway Stakes: Slavonic (1999)
Toorak Handicap: Sober Suit (1995)
Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes: Testa Rossa (2000)
Storm Queen Stakes: Hill Of Grace (2000)
Sydney Cup: Daacha (1995)
The Galaxy: Black Bean (2000)
The Goodwood: Keeper (2001)
The Might And Power: Probabeel (2021)
Turnbull Stakes: Incentivise (2021)
VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes: Winestock (2003)
VRC Sprint Classic: Pharein (1999)
VRC Oaks: Lovelorn (2000)
Yasuda Kinen: Bullish Luck (2006)
