3 minute read

It is amazing what a short break can do for both the mind and the body.

Just under two weeks ago jockey John Powell had thoughts of retirement, but a week’s rest and a new diet has the Australian rider back in the right frame of mind.

The constant battle with his weight came to a head at the meeting on Sunday June 2 when after riding G Power in a 1700m maiden race he was stood down from the remainder of the meeting, forcing him to forego the winning mount aboard First Tothelign later that afternoon.

Powell was already struggling to get down to the 54kg First Tothelign was to carry. He rode G Power, which had 59kg, with a sweat vest on in an effort to shed that little bit of extra weight for the ride later in the day.

But on pulling-up Powell felt dizzy and felt like vomiting and was stood down from riding on medical grounds.

He was also given a medical certificate for the remainder of the week, getting cleared on Saturday morning for his one ride last Sunday aboard Accelarometer in the Group 2 Stewards’ Cup over 1400m.

Powell said the week’s break freshened both his mind and his body and with the help of a new diet he hopes to be back down riding at 53kg within a month.

“I hadn’t had a suspension since June last year and have been riding every weekend since then,” said Powell.

“About six weeks ago I could feel that I was really starting to struggle losing weight.

“I’m always careful with what I eat and I do plenty of sport. I walk a lot, play squash two times a week, play golf three times a week and do some bike riding.

“But I still have to spend three-to-four hours in a hot-bath on race-days to lose that little bit of extra weight.

“Over the period of time it took its toll and my body started to reject all the wasting and sweating and in the end I couldn’t sweat off that last little bit of weight.

“I knew two or three days before that meeting I was in a bit of trouble getting down to First Tothelign’s weight as I wasn’t sweating.

“That’s when I thought I needed to have a good break to give my body a rest and it even got to the stage where retirement crossed my mind.”

The week’s break allowed Powell to rehydrate his body and change his diet and he said he’s already feeling a different person.

“I didn’t ride trackwork for a week and rehydrated myself with plenty of water,” said Powell.

“My weight went up to 61kg but it also came off easily so I could ride Accelarometer at 57kg last week.

“With the new diet in the last 10 days I feel refreshed again and I’m riding at 55kg this weekend and within a month I will hopefully be down to around 53kg.

“The most frustrating part of being a heavyweight rider is that I lose almost another half of my possible winners to other jockeys who can ride lighter than what I can.

“I would love to ride lighter like the rest of the jockeys in Singapore as it would mean that I’d ride more winners.

“I’ve still got plenty of good years of riding left in me and I’m going to get down to a sustainable weight that will enable me to keep riding winners here in Singapore.”

Powell has two rides on Friday night – both for Shane Baertschiger – with the lightest being Robert E at 55.5kg while on Sunday he will partner the Cliff Brown-trained Tenzing at 55kg in one of five rides he has for various trainers.