Despite being around horses since early childhood and the daughter of a trainer (Debbie), Rebeka Prest did not rush into racing. 
She joined her local pony club in Young at age five, but it wasn’t until she turned 17 that she became involved in racing. 
Riding trackwork for a couple of local trainers, she found she really enjoyed it. 
It was then she made the decision to become a jockey. 
At 61 kilos, it may not have appeared the most logical of choices. Nevertheless, Prest applied for an approved rider’s licence and after riding satisfactorily in 10 trials she got the green light to ride at the picnics. 
Her decision was soon justified. The wins came — more than 100 of them — and her weight plummeted to 55 kilos. 
During this time, Prest moved to Newcastle and rode for Alan Scorse before linking up with Jason Coyle and working for Patinack Farm as a trackwork rider.  
Having gained this experience, late in 2014 Prest decided to test her talents in the professional ranks. At age 27, she became apprenticed to Chris Heywood. 
The transition wasn’t easy. Her success on the picnic circuit saw her denied an apprentice’s claim at country meetings, forcing her to compete as a fully fledged jockey. 
Prest spent a year with Heywood before transferring her indentures to Wagga Wagga trainer Tim Donnelly.  
“Tim has been absolutely fantastic to me,” she said. “He got me out walking the course before the races, taught me how to read a race and had me study the form.” 
With hard work and Donnelly’s support, the wins began to flow and Prest’s success didn’t go unnoticed. 
She has now moved to Sydney, where she is on loan to Warwick Farm trainer Matthew Smith.  
Prest can ride at 53 kilos, claiming 2kg on provincial tracks and 3kg in town.
She can be booked for rides through her manager, Craig Morrissey, on 0414 854 771.
Lion holds out float mate  
Tamworth trainer Michelle Fleming drove to Randwick for Saturday’s TAB Highway Handicap hopeful, rather than confident, that her charge The Lion could take out the race. 
The reason for her doubt was in the float she was towing. 
Accompanying The Lion was the short-priced favourite for the race, the unbeaten Burning Crown, trained by her friend Sue Grills, who was sitting beside her. 
The Lion ($14) got away to a slightly tardy start but jockey Rachel King was able to settle the gelding midfield, wide but with cover. 
Meanwhile Burning Crown, who had missed the start, was back towards the rear of the field and on the rails, not the best place to be on the rain-affected track. 
In the straight, The Lion finished strongly down the centre of the track to hit the front inside the final 100 metres and defeat Can’t Find Snippy by 1½ lengths, with $2.15 favourite Burning Crown, who never got off the fence, a gallant third. 
The win came as consolation for Fleming after The Lion had been first past the post in a Highway race in June  only to be disqualified on a minor irregularity. 
“It was an honest mistake, a lesson learned. It was devastating,” said Fleming. “I actually set him for this after that. 
“I was a little bit nervous today because there were so many good horses in the race but I did know that I had him right and I was very comfortable with him. 
“He looks great and he’d trialled really nicely the other day.” 
The win brought up a winning double for King, who’d picked up the ride when Chris O’Brien was stood down on medical grounds. 
King made it a treble later in the day aboard Resin for the powerful Godolphin stable.
Joey all the way
Nowra galloper Noble Joey, co-trained by Robert and Luke Price, showed the benefit of a quick back-up when he scored a brave win in the 1200-metre benchmark 94 at Randwick. 
Jockey Kathy O’Hara had no trouble getting Noble Joey across from a wide barrier to take up the lead. 
After keeping the six-year-old away from the fence, O’Hara fanned even wider coming to the home turn. 
When the challengers came, Noble Joey ($10) fought back tenaciously to win by a nose from Top Striker, with Marsupial just a short half-head away third, in what was a thrilling finish. 
“He had 52 kilos on his back and I was happy to let him roll,” O’Hara said. 
“I was worried when the Godolphin horse (Marsupial) came up to me and was bolting, but he (Noble Joey) is so game and loves the fight.” 
The six-year-old was backing up from a fourth in benchmark 78 grade at the same track the Saturday before.
Parr on the boil
Josh Parr had a huge day at Wyong on Sunday, riding six of the eight winners including the $50,000 first heat of the Sky Racing Provincial Series on $1.90 favourite Manhattan Mist, trained locally by Kim Waugh.
Each of the five NSW provincial clubs will host a heat of the series, which culminates in a $150,000 final at Kembla Grange on December 1.
Last Sunday’s heat was a Class 5 over 1350 metres.
Cups round-up
They call Barbara Joseph the baroness of Bombala and so she proved last Saturday when $2 favourite Rock On Zariz recorded a runaway win in the 1200-metre Bombala Cup, winning by 4¾ lengths with Aaron Sweeney in the saddle. 
Joseph co-trains the six-year-old mare with her son Paul Jones.
On the same day down in the Riverina, King’s Hand ($4) scored a narrow win over Our Project in the 1400-metre Deniliquin Cup for rider Juana Andreou and Gunbower (Vic) trainer John Pearson. 
On Sunday at Nowra, the 1200-metre Mollymook Cup went to local galloper Feisty Fox ($3.50), trained by Robert and Luke Price and ridden by Winona Costin.