Ride Like a Girl

A real true blue Aussie family, kids these days would faint at the thought of having to do the hard yards those kids did? I wish Michelle and her beautiful family the best of everything life has to offer. Don’t know if it’s still in print, but the Payne family book by Kneebone is a great read.

RACHEL BAXENDALE
VICTORIAN POLITICAL REPORTER

11:00PM NOVEMBER 4, 2015
When racing writer Tony Kneebone wrote his book on the Paynes in 1996, family patriarch Paddy Payne warned him it was “probably premature, because the little one is likely to end up better than the lot of them”.

It was a bold prediction about an 11-year-old with nine older siblings, seven of whom were already professional jockeys, but on Tuesday Michelle Payne proved her fathe­r right, storming home atop Prince Of Penzance as the first female­ jockey to win the Melbourne Cup.

The win was very much a family affair, with her brother Stephen, who has Down syndrome, key to her success as the strapper for the Darren Weir-trained horse, and winner of the No 1 barrier draw.

Five of their sisters and two brothers were at Flemington as much to cheer Michelle on as to be there for sister Cathy’s husband Kerrin McEvoy and sister Maree’s husband Brett Prebble, who were also riding horses in the Cup.

For their 79-year-old father Paddy, Michelle’s victory was no less sweet for his not having been there. He shunned the crowds in favour of his couch at Miner’s Rest, north of Ballarat, and the company of his chocolate labradors, and watched the race on TV.

“I thought when she came around on the straight, I thought, ‘gee, she’s going bloody good here’, and home she got. It looked easy,” the veteran trainer said yesterday.

The Paynes have had their share of tragedy, Michelle losing her mother, Mary, to a car accident when she was just six months old, and eldest sister Brigid in 2007, when she died of a heart attack after having a seizure, which may have been connected to a fall during trackwork.

Looking up at a photo of Mary, which sits in pride of place next to a statue of the Virgin Mary draped in rosary beads in the family cabin­et of photographs and trophies, Paddy Payne said his wife would have been extremely proud had she lived to see her baby’s success.

“Michelle’s a bit like her. She was a good woman,” he said of Mary, who moved to New Zealand aged 15 as one of eight children of Swiss migrants.

The Paynes had eight of their 10 kids at Taranaki, on New Zealand’s North Island, before moving to Miner’s Rest for a two-year “trial” that didn’t end.

One photo shows big sister Therese, who reportedly used to fall asleep at school after long nights getting up to feed Michelle after their mother died, and Mich­elle, younger than two and yet to get all her teeth but nonetheless beaming in a dress and fascinator.

For Mr Payne, Stephen’s triumph as the strapper was at least as important as Michelle’s. “I rang up the Down Syndrome Association and I said to them, ‘well this kid’s done good’ and I reckon it was because he was brought up normally with all the other kids.’’

RACHEL BAXENDALE

Whooa everyone, do not kill the messenger

I have nevr met Michelle Catherine, Patrick, or any of the Payne family, so I would not have any idea of what they are like.

My reasoning is that after her post race interview, media types (Richard Callendar who ironically likes the movie, and some male trainers who are based in country Victoria) came out with the old, I have used Michelle and she should not put all male participants in the same boat line).

Then there was a period there, where she firstly got her dual license that some trainers thought she was a little outspoken about the hardness of the tracks, and said she should be conentrating on the riding and training, when at the same time male trainers agreed and said the same thing, and nothing was said.

I actually like Michelle and her straight forward upfront attitude, and I am just using what responses she has garnered from her comments and thoughts, compared to when men have said what she has said.

I was just saying that in all industries, businesses and organisations when you get a movie made about a person, there are those who will not watch the movie.

I would be very interested to see how the movie has done in Victoria. I would feel that the movie's main areas of business are outside Victoria.

I do not really like the guy, but I would think a good script writer could make a good movie out of Glen Boss's life, but I bet you not all the racing industry would go and watch that movie either.    

Redemption wrote: I think the sad part of the whole Weir debacle, is Prince of Penzance was actually a damn good horse, and had a nice little swim and walk through the water at Warrnambool the day before the Cup. Jiggers or not, the horse had a nice natural lead up to the race, Michelle loved the horse, and she nursed him into the straight with impeccable timing. It was one of the greatest rides in Cup history, because they went so slow and Michelle was the one that got the timing right. She beat a decent field, on a 100-1 local, and jiggers played little to no part in the result of this one. It was the brilliant timing of her ride that won the race. She beat them fair and square.

It was a fairy tale out come for Michelle but to suggest the horse won fair & square is a bigger fairy tale . Yeah I am trying to picture how it may have gone down..... ‘Jack all those up but don’t touch POP as he is going to win the Cup fair & square’ give me a spell Redemption

POP missed the start from 1 barrier and was forced to take a sit .

Was overs for sure Doc, on the Course record 2nd in the Mooney Valley Cup lead up , after leading and setting a sizzler pace.

Won the Cup despite the Lady Rider.....    

Nocturnal wrote: We have a MELBOURNE cinema refusing to screen the movie in light of the ABC sensationalised doco on the industry wastage . They have had a couple of hurdles to overcome with the Weir drama and now this. They managed to sweep the Weir controversy under the carpet , rightly or wrongly, although I feel this is a little over the top to blame them for. Yes I know it is industry related but still it has nothing to do with the movie. . Another vegan grandstander perhaps ?

Nothing wrong with being vegan. Or being concerned about our environmental future for that matter.

he major nominees list: AACTA AWARDS

BEST FILM

— HOTEL MUMBAI: Basil Iwanyk, Gary Hamilton, Julie Ryan, Jomon Thomas

— JUDY & PUNCH: Michele Bennett, Nash Edgerton, Danny Gabai

— THE KING: Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Liz Watts, David Michôd, Joel

— THE NIGHTINGALE: Kristina Ceyton, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, Jennifer Kent

— RIDE LIKE A GIRL: Richard Keddie, Rachel Griffiths, Susie Montague

— TOP END WEDDING Rosemary Blight, Kylie du Fresne, Kate BEST LEAD ACTRESS

— HOTEL MUMBAI: Nazanin Boniadi

— THE NIGHTINGALE: Aisling Franciosi

— RIDE LIKE A GIRL: Teresa Palmer

— TOP END WEDDING: Miranda Tapsell

— JUDY & PUNCH: Mia Wasikowska

Strange they haven't pulled the film directed by a lady born in China 

We have just got home from seeing the movie at the local tonight.  I thought it quite good, and for non race riders it certainly gives one some idea of what its like  out there in the middle of a race.  Good on her for all her hard work and perserverence, and Stevie is a STAR

Yep no talent.

I can't remember the last good rider to win a Melbourne Cup on a $101.00 chance, it was ........................uhm………………..uhm, still thinking, wait I think I have it, no slipped my mind again.

The fact that Michelle did something that George Moore, was never able to do, on a horse which no one gave a chance, must say something about her talent, surely.

Oops wait a minute she is a women, so that means she only fluked that win, as if no male rider has ever fluked a win in a Melbourne Cup.