LONG shot Prince of Penzance, trained by Darren Weir, stormed to the finish line to beat English stayer Max Dynamite, with Australian weight-for-age star Criterion finishing in third place.
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The 30-year-old was in triumphant form after the race as she celebrated her win.
“It is a lifetime dream come true”.
After her momentous Melbourne Cup victory, Michelle Payne had a two-word response to the “chauvinists” who doubt the ability of women to compete alongside men – “Get stuffed”.
Prince Of Penzance’s trainer Darren Weir has always been a massive supporter.
“Racing in is my blood”, she said. “Because, I believe that we sort of don’t get enough of a go and hopefully this will help”.
Eight of the children went on to become jockeys, but none have won a race as big as the Melbourne Cup.
Michelle Payne celebrates her winning ride on Prince Of Penzance with her sisters to win race 7 the Emirates Melbourne Cup on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 3, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.
Payne paid a touching tribute to her father on Channel 9’s Today show, who raised the family after her mum died. She suffered further injuries, breaking a wrist and smashing an ankle in other race falls.
Payne said her ride was straining at the reins coming into the final turn and took her chance when the Dunlop-trained Trip to Paris (fourth), opened a path through the front-runners.
“Mr and Mrs Richards came down and said, “We’ve already won the Melbourne Cup”, and I told them that I didn’t so this is my Melbourne Cup”, the star hoop said.
“And I sort of thought, “Don’t be silly”, but it’s nice to be able to dream. That’s what racing is all about – you can dream about anything”.
Payne was keen to press the case for the fairer sex after her unique success.
This week will bring the retirement at 32 of Hayley Turner, Britain’s most successful female flat-racing jockey, the victor of two Group One contests, who has opted for a broadcasting career over the endless travel of a rider’s life.
Millions of Australians will drop what they’re doing mid-afternoon for the country’s most famous race: The Melbourne Cup.
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As a number of people nurse headaches this morning, the miraculous story of the Melbourne Cup’s first winning female jockey continues to be told.
