Jockey Jim Byrne is making good on his promise to get his weight down to 50.5kg in order to ride Red Chase for the Desleigh Forster stable in the Stradbroke Handicap.
Apache Chase is actually set to carry 49.5kg, but connections have given the all clear for Apache Chase to go out with the 50.5kg to allow Byrne to continue his successful association with the Daybreak Lover and Fred Best winner.
“Probably the hardest part of getting my weight down is that I keep myself pretty fit anyway, so whatever weight am losing … there isn’t much fat to work with there,” said Byrne.
“Look, every jockey knows this situation. Ultimately you reduce, reduce, reduce your food intake and pick up your workload. I’m eating one meal a day and lunch … and lunch is always light fruit.
“You do reach a point where you can overdo it and I’ve been very careful to make sure I do the right thing overall and stay strong enough because, as much as Apache Chase is a very important ride, it is not just about Apache Chase for me on Saturday.
“I’ve got other good rides on the day, and I’ve got to do the right thing by those owners as well.”
For now, it is still back to the grindstone for Byrne as the countdown continues to the big day.
“I’ve been swimming 2.5km a day and doing a lot of walking,” said Byrne.
“For example, on Monday I swam in the morning and then, come midday, I thought I probably should go for a walk … so I got up and asked my daughter if she wanted to go for a coffee.
“She asked … where are we going to go. I said over the Story Bridge … and that was a 7.5 walk. So, when we got there, we had to a quick coffee and we then had to walk all of the way back … so that ended up being a 15km walk … although we are selling it to the family as a 20km walk!
“I wish it wasn’t two weeks. I wish I didn’t have to do this for the last two weeks.
“The last part of it … I know … I will probably have to hop in a spa and lose the last bit of weight … but it is what it is.
“I have been asked, if I can get down to 50.5kg why have I not tried to get down to the 49.5kg?
“Because getting down to 49.5kg is impossible for me, that’s why,” said Byrne.
“To get down 49.5kg … as I say, I simply don’t think I would have able to do it.
“What I do know, in my own mindset, is that, when I rode in Macau, I was doing the equivalent of around 51kg day in and day out … and with the best of everything and things going well, I was confident I could get down to that sort of weight and ultimately get to 50.5kg.
“I know I can do that … but 49.5kg … I haven’t ridden that light since I was an apprentice. It would have been foolish and probably pointless to attempt to do that.
“Only two days to go now.
“Hopefully, it will all be worth it.”
