What does a Melbourne Cup-winning jockey do in their spare time?
Pre-train horses for their favourite trainers, of course.
It’s all part of the daily routine for star jockey Jamie Melham who balances a small team of pre-trainers with her riding commitments at trackwork and on raceday.
Despite her tally of Group 1 wins growing and the demand for her services at an all-time high, Melham still enjoys playing the role of pre-trainer for several Cranbourne trainers.
Utilising the track at her own property, Melham’s job is to get horses fit and working smoothly in the early stages of their preparations before they return to their regular stables to begin fast work.
“I don’t like having free time for some silly reason,” Melham said.
“I’ve got five or six pre-trainers that we play around with.”
“I do a few for Lloyd Kennewell – he’s a very good payer and his horses are all beautiful and well-educated.”
“I pre-train a few for Clinton as well.”
“I’ve got a beautiful property with a track out the back so we can do a lot of the work here.”
Melham has also been active in the retired horse space with Racing Victoria and former racer Brax, participating in several show jumping events.
