Tom Prebble took a big step in his career at Flemington on Saturday when the apprentice delivered a knockout blow for his first stakes victory in the Straight Six (1200m) aboard $61 winner Title Fighter.
With his father, the Melbourne Cup winning rider Brett Prebble on course to watch him, the young rider produced a confident ride on the bolter for trainer Clayton Douglas, who was clearly taken with the performance of both his horse and his rider.
“He rode it a treat,” Douglas said. “You couldn’t have asked for a better ride honestly. He was nice and quiet on him early.
“He’s got a big future this kid.”
Prebble’s mother is Maree Payne, who like many of her siblings, also had a successful riding career. His father Brett was a star in Hong Kong and he won the 2012 Melbourne Cup aboard Green Moon as one of his 37 Group 1 wins.
In a boilover finish, Prebble and Title Fighter ($61) hold on gamely over the final 100 metres to narrowly defeat Deekay ($21) and former Singapore champion Lim’s Kosciuszko ($12), who was making his Australian debut.
The $1.80 favourite King Zephyr was aiming for a fifth straight win but was under pressure early on the rain-affected going.
WATCH: Title Fighter's win in the Straight Six at Flemington
Prebble paid tribute to Douglas and fellow rider Jamie Mott, who gave him some tips about the horse as Prebble had never been on his back before.
Prebble, who took his first ride as a 20-year-old in 2022, said he didn’t think too much about the potential of a stakes win.
“To be honest, I just see every race the same as the rest,” he said. “I just want to win all of them.”