Greg Hall was trackside as his son Nick won the Caulfield Cup
There isn’t a prouder father than former jockey Greg Hall.
He was trackside on Saturday as his son Nick won the Caulfield Cup for a second time, a race that eluded his father.
Greg Hall won a Melbourne Cup, a Cox Plate and a Golden Slipper while a Caulfield Cup victory would have put him an elite group of riders to have won the big four races.
He went close in the 1989 Caulfield Cup when second on the John Meagher-trained Nayrizi.
Hall made one of his rare trips to Caulfield to see his son give a polished ride aboard Jameka to follow up his 2013 Caulfield Cup success on Fawkner.
“The last time I was here was when he won on Fawkner and I haven’t been here since,” Hall said.
“I’m rapt. I’m just so proud of him.
“His dad never won one and he’s now won two.”
Hall said he may have to start going to Caulfield more often but denied he was Nick’s lucky charm.
“I think he’s more my lucky charm,” Hall said.
“He’s my boy. He’s fantastic.
“He’s an outstanding jockey and has got all the ability.”
Jameka now heads to the Melbourne Cup on November 1 and Hall can’t see why his son can’t join the list of jockeys to have won Australia’s most famous race.
Hall said he almost crashed his car when his then 17-year-old son rang to tell him he wanted to be a jockey.
“He had never been to the races. He was a kid that had never ridden a horse,” Hall said.
“I got him up to Gerald Egan’s and he just took off from there.”
Hall can’t explain what makes a good jockey but said genes must play an important part.
“My dad was a jockey. He had four brothers that were jockeys and five sisters that all married jockeys,” he said.
“My brother was a jockey and his son was a jockey.
“I was a jockey and now Nicholas is and for 97 years one year hasn’t gone by where a Hall hasn’t ridden.
“He’s got the jockey genes, like the Paynes.
“They’re naturals.”
