Daniel Stackhouse to stick with Benedetta in Oakleigh Plate
Jockey Daniel Stackhouse is committed to a rigorous diet regimen this week to meet the 53-kilogram weight requirement for his ride aboard Jason Warren’s talented sprinter Benedetta in Saturday’s Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield.
Stackhouse, who dropped to as low as 51.5kgs to ride Daqiansweet Junior in last year’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), acknowledged the challenge but expressed determination to meet the weight with disciplined eating habits throughout the week.
“It’s more of a food thing, I am pretty fit, but you keep training and try and do a kilo every day,” he shared with Racing.com.
“I normally have a coffee in the morning, an apple if I am hungry then some boiled eggs and some protein meals because then you need how much is going into you.”
Stackhouse, who has ridden at this weight only six times in the past eight years, outlined his fitness routine, which includes gym workouts, running, and intense treadmill sessions with a high incline.
“You know what your body can do and chip away at it,” Stackhouse emphasised, highlighting the calculated approach required to reach the desired weight for race day.
Benedetta holds the fourth line of betting with horse racing bookmakers for the Oakleigh Plate, marked as a +650 winning chance.