Brett Prebble became the second rider to engineer the defeat of a $1.40 favourite at Sandown on Saturday when he partnered On The Lead to victory, giving Victorian racing fans a farewell reminder of his talent in the process.
The 45-year-old unleased a powerful finishing burst aboard the Richard and Will Freedman-trained On The Lead to run down spruik gelding Inundation in the $130,000 Peter Couzens Handicap.
Inundation, who went into the 1000-metre event a winner of four of his six starts, was the second favourite to go under at that price following the defeat of Detonator Jack in Race 2.
Jamie Kah reported to stewards post-race that she felt Inundation could have been suffering from heat stress after weakening sharply late, but Prebble was lavish in his praise for On The Lead.
“They stretched them out a little bit and had him off the bridle, so I had to bide my time and get him balanced, but once he got balanced up and started striding up the hill, I knew I was going win,” he said.
Prebble hopes the victory will lead to more opportunities with the Freedman stable as he this week embarks on a move to Sydney that he hopes will revitalise his career.
After a brilliant 2021 Spring Carnival, when his wins included Caulfield Cup success aboard Incentivise, Prebble struggled for opportunities in 2022.
One trainer that remained supportive was Chris Waller and Prebble said that backing was a factor in his decision to head north.
“My opportunities are just getting really tough but probably one of the best trainers in the world is the only one supporting me, Chris Waller,” Prebble said.
“My horses are running well, they’re always long odds and I feel I’m riding really good, but I can’t get the opportunities.
“So I just felt it was time to bite the bullet, change thigs around and see what we can do.”
